Figure - Baule - Côte d’Ivoire

Baule figure Ivory Coast
wood construction
h 33cm
estimated period "1900 -1910 Montagut gallery Barcelona"
"Baule artisan of West Africa. Such a figure is known as a blolo bian - an ancestral dream husband sculpture that would be placed in the home, looked after and attentively cared for, as such special figures are believed to act as a medium between the living and spiritual realms. Figures like this example are also called dream lovers because they are believed to visit the living in their dreams and may serve as an oracle who can predict the future or act as a lover in one's dreams. This example boasts a finely-incised, centrally-parted coiffure, scarification marks on the cheeks and neck, delineated legs and genitalia, skillfully-formed facial features, and lustrous espresso-hued patina across all surfaces.
Alberto Costa Romero de Tejada, Barcelona"
ex private collection Montagut gallery Barcelona