African bronze head - Baule - Côte d'Ivoire
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Selected by Julien Gauthier
A decade of experience in historical arms, armour, and African art.
Estimate € 150 - € 200
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Tête en bronze africain, a Baoulé bronze head from Côte d'Ivoire dating to the late 20th century, in good condition and sold with a stand.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Ivory Coast
Baoulé
African bronze
Height: 195mm
Width: 110mm
Depth: 105mm
Weight: 960g
This piece in copper alloy cast in the lost-wax method, standing 195mm high for a dense weight of 960 grams.
Although it reprises the morphological canon of the Ivory Coast, its three-dimensional configuration — a helmeted head closed at the back rather than a flat mask — makes it an exceptional object of Baoulé culture (belonging to the greater Akan group), strongly influenced here by prestige metalwork and contacts with lagoon cultures.
1. Analysis of stylistic codes and attributes
Close examination of the front face reveals highly symbolic iconographic details:
Relief scarifications: The face bears characteristic scarifications in the form of crosses or grid-like motifs on the cheeks and forehead, as well as a line of cheloids along the hairline. Among the Baoulé, these marks symbolize self-control, cultural integration, and civilized beauty.
Treatment of the eyes and gaze: The globular almond eyes are stretched toward the temples, topped with large arched brows that meet to form a long, thin nasal ridge. This drawing gives the head an expression of serene authority and inner spiritual depth.
Adornments and stylized beard: Ornaments shaped like small loops or metallic twists emphasize the jawline and the corners of the lips. Under the chin, a braided beard or richly striped flat appendage symbolizes wisdom, mature age, and the status of notable person or clan chief.
Elements of summit grasping: The crown of the skull and the back of the head are flanked by small twisted pins or spurs, serving as attachments or decorative elements linked to the dignitaries’ complex headdresses.
2. Real use: A clan power and treasure object
With a weight close to a kilo for only 19 cm, this object was absolutely not meant to be danced or worn on the face during performances. Its use is purely static and sacred:
The Royal/Family Treasure (Aja): In Akan/Baoulé tradition, metal objects or heavy copper alloy form the heart of the clan treasure. Passed down from generation to generation, this treasure materializes wealth, political power, and the legitimacy of a chief or lineage.
Altar display: During the funerals of great dignitaries, investiture ceremonies, or village alliances, this prestige head was taken out of its sacred hiding places. It was solemnly arranged on a royal wooden throne (parade seat) or on an altar to bear witness to wealth and the spiritual protection of ancestors.
Offerings and libations: The textured, greenish-brown patina is the direct result of natural copper oxidation, but also of successive applications of ritual substances (oils, sacrificial blood, powders) during communal prayers.
3. Meaning: The embodiment of the eternal Ancestor
Permanence of power: Unlike wooden masks and statues that rot, crack, or are eaten by termites, bronze is incorruptible. Choosing metal to represent a human head is a deliberate decision to fix political and spiritual authority in eternity.
The receptacle of the soul: In Baoulé thought, the head is considered the seat of intelligence, will, and spiritual energy (Kra). This sculpture is not the portrait of a specific individual, but an idealized allegory of a glorious founding ancestor, watching over the community.
The back photos clearly show the wide opening under the base of the neck, confirming that the piece was designed to be fitted onto a command staff, placed atop an altar sleeve, or displayed stably on a rigid support.
Packages are shipped Monday through Saturday with insurance and a tracking number.
Delivery in 1 to 3 days in France via Chronopost, 2 to 5 days across the European Union.
Delivery to the rest of Europe and worldwide via Colissimo international.
We speak english
Mask African art Afrikanische Maskenkunst arte de máscaras africanas arte delle maschere africane
statue african art Arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane
Máscara de estatua de galería de arte africano arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane Afrikanische Maskenkunst
Máscara de estatua de galería de arte africano
Seller's Story
Passionate about World Arts and more specifically about African Art, we buy from collectors, former officials, military, health workers, public works staff who have worked in Africa and also in Côte d'Ivoire, from antique dealers and traders who roam across West Africa to find quality objects.
It is with pride that we present works that, beyond their power to beautify spaces, invite our collectors to resonate with the richness and depth of human expression through the most authentic art.
At Arts Ethniques Gallery, we have the privilege of offering our visitors an exclusive selection of artworks, all unique and original. Each piece presented is the outcome of a demanding artistic approach, driven by a singular vision and mastered craftsmanship, all elements that guarantee authenticity and value.
The works we offer are not industrial reproductions. They are individual creations, crafted with sensitivity and precision, each bearing its own story, identity and presence. Originality is the very foundation of our commitment to excellence. Thus, every mask and every statue in our collection is the subject of a rigorous selection, in order to preserve their rarity and singularity.
Acquiring a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery means owning a truly unique piece: a creation that embodies both talent, cultural memory and the expressive force of African art. It is also a lasting investment in a work whose artistic and emotional value transcends time.
We guarantee that every work leaving our gallery is an authentic piece, without replicas, bearing witness to the creativity, heritage and passion of the African artists who shaped them.
We invite you to participate in our gallery’s auctions with confidence. Each presented work is an original, unique and irreplaceable creation, selected with the greatest rigor to guarantee its authenticity and artistic value.
Whether you wish to enrich a personal collection or introduce an exceptional artwork into your space, Arts Ethniques Gallery offers a safe, transparent and professional setting to acquire remarkable pieces.
Art auctions are a privileged moment to discover rare works, capable of becoming the heart of a collection. Acquiring a work at our sales is not just buying an object: it is investing in a creation whose aesthetic value and cultural reach reinforce over time.
The pieces presented by Arts Ethniques Gallery testify not only to the talent and vision of the artists but also possess the ability to transform spaces and enrich the gaze of those who behold them.
Participating in our auctions is taking part in a singular experience, where the passion for art meets the rigors of collecting. Bidding on a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery goes beyond a simple transaction: it is a gesture of commitment and appreciation for art in its most authentic form.
We invite you to bid with passion and to join us in this adventure dedicated to discovery, transmission and celebration of art.
Perhaps your next heart piece is already waiting for you."
Translated by Google TranslateIvory Coast
Baoulé
African bronze
Height: 195mm
Width: 110mm
Depth: 105mm
Weight: 960g
This piece in copper alloy cast in the lost-wax method, standing 195mm high for a dense weight of 960 grams.
Although it reprises the morphological canon of the Ivory Coast, its three-dimensional configuration — a helmeted head closed at the back rather than a flat mask — makes it an exceptional object of Baoulé culture (belonging to the greater Akan group), strongly influenced here by prestige metalwork and contacts with lagoon cultures.
1. Analysis of stylistic codes and attributes
Close examination of the front face reveals highly symbolic iconographic details:
Relief scarifications: The face bears characteristic scarifications in the form of crosses or grid-like motifs on the cheeks and forehead, as well as a line of cheloids along the hairline. Among the Baoulé, these marks symbolize self-control, cultural integration, and civilized beauty.
Treatment of the eyes and gaze: The globular almond eyes are stretched toward the temples, topped with large arched brows that meet to form a long, thin nasal ridge. This drawing gives the head an expression of serene authority and inner spiritual depth.
Adornments and stylized beard: Ornaments shaped like small loops or metallic twists emphasize the jawline and the corners of the lips. Under the chin, a braided beard or richly striped flat appendage symbolizes wisdom, mature age, and the status of notable person or clan chief.
Elements of summit grasping: The crown of the skull and the back of the head are flanked by small twisted pins or spurs, serving as attachments or decorative elements linked to the dignitaries’ complex headdresses.
2. Real use: A clan power and treasure object
With a weight close to a kilo for only 19 cm, this object was absolutely not meant to be danced or worn on the face during performances. Its use is purely static and sacred:
The Royal/Family Treasure (Aja): In Akan/Baoulé tradition, metal objects or heavy copper alloy form the heart of the clan treasure. Passed down from generation to generation, this treasure materializes wealth, political power, and the legitimacy of a chief or lineage.
Altar display: During the funerals of great dignitaries, investiture ceremonies, or village alliances, this prestige head was taken out of its sacred hiding places. It was solemnly arranged on a royal wooden throne (parade seat) or on an altar to bear witness to wealth and the spiritual protection of ancestors.
Offerings and libations: The textured, greenish-brown patina is the direct result of natural copper oxidation, but also of successive applications of ritual substances (oils, sacrificial blood, powders) during communal prayers.
3. Meaning: The embodiment of the eternal Ancestor
Permanence of power: Unlike wooden masks and statues that rot, crack, or are eaten by termites, bronze is incorruptible. Choosing metal to represent a human head is a deliberate decision to fix political and spiritual authority in eternity.
The receptacle of the soul: In Baoulé thought, the head is considered the seat of intelligence, will, and spiritual energy (Kra). This sculpture is not the portrait of a specific individual, but an idealized allegory of a glorious founding ancestor, watching over the community.
The back photos clearly show the wide opening under the base of the neck, confirming that the piece was designed to be fitted onto a command staff, placed atop an altar sleeve, or displayed stably on a rigid support.
Packages are shipped Monday through Saturday with insurance and a tracking number.
Delivery in 1 to 3 days in France via Chronopost, 2 to 5 days across the European Union.
Delivery to the rest of Europe and worldwide via Colissimo international.
We speak english
Mask African art Afrikanische Maskenkunst arte de máscaras africanas arte delle maschere africane
statue african art Arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane
Máscara de estatua de galería de arte africano arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane Afrikanische Maskenkunst
Máscara de estatua de galería de arte africano
Seller's Story
Passionate about World Arts and more specifically about African Art, we buy from collectors, former officials, military, health workers, public works staff who have worked in Africa and also in Côte d'Ivoire, from antique dealers and traders who roam across West Africa to find quality objects.
It is with pride that we present works that, beyond their power to beautify spaces, invite our collectors to resonate with the richness and depth of human expression through the most authentic art.
At Arts Ethniques Gallery, we have the privilege of offering our visitors an exclusive selection of artworks, all unique and original. Each piece presented is the outcome of a demanding artistic approach, driven by a singular vision and mastered craftsmanship, all elements that guarantee authenticity and value.
The works we offer are not industrial reproductions. They are individual creations, crafted with sensitivity and precision, each bearing its own story, identity and presence. Originality is the very foundation of our commitment to excellence. Thus, every mask and every statue in our collection is the subject of a rigorous selection, in order to preserve their rarity and singularity.
Acquiring a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery means owning a truly unique piece: a creation that embodies both talent, cultural memory and the expressive force of African art. It is also a lasting investment in a work whose artistic and emotional value transcends time.
We guarantee that every work leaving our gallery is an authentic piece, without replicas, bearing witness to the creativity, heritage and passion of the African artists who shaped them.
We invite you to participate in our gallery’s auctions with confidence. Each presented work is an original, unique and irreplaceable creation, selected with the greatest rigor to guarantee its authenticity and artistic value.
Whether you wish to enrich a personal collection or introduce an exceptional artwork into your space, Arts Ethniques Gallery offers a safe, transparent and professional setting to acquire remarkable pieces.
Art auctions are a privileged moment to discover rare works, capable of becoming the heart of a collection. Acquiring a work at our sales is not just buying an object: it is investing in a creation whose aesthetic value and cultural reach reinforce over time.
The pieces presented by Arts Ethniques Gallery testify not only to the talent and vision of the artists but also possess the ability to transform spaces and enrich the gaze of those who behold them.
Participating in our auctions is taking part in a singular experience, where the passion for art meets the rigors of collecting. Bidding on a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery goes beyond a simple transaction: it is a gesture of commitment and appreciation for art in its most authentic form.
We invite you to bid with passion and to join us in this adventure dedicated to discovery, transmission and celebration of art.
Perhaps your next heart piece is already waiting for you."
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Indigenous object name
African bronze head
Ethnic group/ culture
Baule
Country of Origin
Côte d'Ivoire
Period
Late 20th century
Material
African bronze
Sold with stand
Yes
Condition
Good condition
Sold by
