Baoulé Monkey - Côte d'Ivoire

Origin: Côte d'Ivoire
Tribe name: Baoulé
Material: Wood
Dimension: 50 cm
Shipping method: Colissimo within 24-48h; open

This decorative wooden sculpture represents Baoulé art from Côte d'Ivoire, more precisely an anthropomorphic-zoomorphic figure often associated with the cult of the Mbra.
Here is a detailed description of the piece:

Morphological Characteristics
The Head: The piece features a hybrid head, blending human and simian (monkey) traits. The jaw is prognathic, widely open, revealing teeth carved in a geometric and aggressive manner.
The Posture: The figure stands on a circular base. It adopts a slightly bent position, with muscular legs and the torso leaned forward.
The Ritual Object: The figure holds between its two hands a cup or cylindrical vessel at chest height. In Baoulé ritual context, this receptacle was often used to receive offerings or sacrificial blood.

Stylistic and Material Analysis
Anatomical details: Notable attention to a protruding navel and the male genitalia, symbolizing lineage and life force. The ears are stylized in the shape of a "C".

Cultural Significance
This piece seems to represent the Gbekre (or Mbotumbo), the "cynocephalic" monkey judge of the underworld or a justice auxiliary. Unlike Blolo Bian statues (spouses of the beyond) which are smooth and refined, these monkey figures are deliberately rough and frightening, because they house powerful and potentially dangerous protective spirits used for divination or village protection.