STATUE COLON-BAOULE - Côte d'Ivoire

Origin. Ivory Coast
Tribe name. Baoulé
Material. Wood
Dimension. 42 cm
Shipping method. Colissimo within 24-48h open

This decorative statuette is a work of the Baoulé ethnic group (Ivory Coast), belonging to the so-called “Colon” style. This artistic current, which appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, illustrates the encounter between African traditions and Western influence.
Here is a detailed description of this object:
1. Visual Analysis and Style
Posture and Proportion: The figure respects the Baoulé traditional aesthetic canon with a large head (seat of intelligence and spirituality) and a rigid, frontal posture.
Colonial Attributes: The character wears elements of European clothing, characteristic of the colonial style:
A headpiece of a specific shape (reminiscent of a kepi or an official hat).
What appears to be a tunic or bolero with crisscross bands (bandolier or military decoration).
A skirt or short shorts and sandals or ankle boots sculpted at the base.
Pigmentation: Polychromy is observed (red, ochre, and black pigments). The contrast between the dark skin and the colorful details of the clothing is typical of Baoulé colonists.
2. Cultural Significance
Contrary to a common misconception, these statues are not merely caricatures of the white man. They can serve several functions:
The Spouse in the Afterlife (Blolo Bian): In Baoulé cosmogony, every individual has a spiritual spouse in the other world. To honor him, a statue was carved that had to be as beautiful and as “modern” as possible. In the colonial era, prestige was associated with Western clothes and objects; thus one represented one's spiritual partner in a “colon” figure to give him a high social status.
Humor and Satire: They were sometimes used to mock the rigid attitude of colonial administrators (hands in pockets, stern posture).
Historical Testimony: They fix in wood the evolution of Ivorian society and the appropriation of codes of authority.