colonial statue - Baule - Côte d'Ivoire (No reserve price)

Female colonial figure from the Baule region around Bouaké, wearing a bead necklace around the neck. It is mounted on a trapezoidal, black display base. The figure is in reasonably good condition. Fine cracks in the lacquer surface and wear attest to age and use. Provenance: Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke, Berlin, with an origin certificate.

The sculpture depicts an upright woman marked by remarkable composure. Her head is held slightly aloft, her closed eyes and a hint of a smile lend the figure a contemplative, almost ethereal aura. The carefully designed, three-part braided hairstyle references traditional Baule beauty ideals, while the pearl necklace emphasizes its decorative character. Particularly noteworthy is the clothing: the yellow dress with pockets and a black belt reflect influences of colonial fashion trends and designate the figure as belonging to a new social reality. The hands tucked into the pockets confer unusual naturalness and individuality to the figure, distinguishing it from the more idealized religious sculptures of the Baule school. The red skin tone and the black-painted hair connect traditional color perceptions with the depiction of modern clothing.

This figure belongs to a special group of West African sculptures created during the colonial period and in the first decades of the 20th century. They are not merely representations of colonial presence but rather autonomous artistic interpretations of social upheavals.

A distinctive object of Baule culture that stands as an impressive testimony to cultural adaptation and artistic innovation in colonial West Africa.

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