Decorative ornament - Côte d’Ivoire - Baule pendant






Holds a postgraduate degree in African studies and 15 years experience in African art.
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Baule pendant, an 8 kt gold, bronze and copper pendant from Ivory Coast (Costa de Marfil), dating to ca. 1930–1940, in good used condition with minor signs of age; provenance: Jean-Michel Huguenin Collection, Paris.
Description from the seller
Among the Baule peoples of central Côte d’Ivoire, personal adornment in gold such as this pendant often hold a special status as part of a matrilineal family’s sacred inheritance - a group of precious objects kept as tribute to a family’s ancestors. A pendant such as this one could have been worn around the neck on special occasions or arranged outside the home during ceremonies and festivals so that other community members could admire them. Figural forms featured on such ornaments often refer to proverbs and bear symbolic meaning: the coiled snake, for example, is considered a symbol of femininity and fertility.
Provenance: Jean-Michel Huguenin Collection, Paris
Seller's Story
Among the Baule peoples of central Côte d’Ivoire, personal adornment in gold such as this pendant often hold a special status as part of a matrilineal family’s sacred inheritance - a group of precious objects kept as tribute to a family’s ancestors. A pendant such as this one could have been worn around the neck on special occasions or arranged outside the home during ceremonies and festivals so that other community members could admire them. Figural forms featured on such ornaments often refer to proverbs and bear symbolic meaning: the coiled snake, for example, is considered a symbol of femininity and fertility.
Provenance: Jean-Michel Huguenin Collection, Paris
