A Baule statue, Yamoussoukro region, Bouaflé village, Ivory Coast. This carved Baule wooden statuette is an anthropomorphic female figure that adheres to the classical canons of this traditional art form. It is important to note a significant distinction: in Baule art, female figures of this type generally do not represent slaves, but rather a Blolo Bla (wife of the afterlife) or a nature spirit (Asie Usu). The posture of the hands, held behind the back or on the abdomen, along with the scarifications, convey respect, dignity, and ideal standards of beauty and social maturity, rather than a state of captivity. The statuette has a serene, elongated face that is slender and imbued with inner depth, characterized by large, finely carved almond-shaped eyes and arched eyebrows that meet at the base of the nose. The lips are thin and slightly protruding. The hairstyle and headdress feature stylized hair divided by incised lines. At the top of the skull, the statue features a cylindrical structure with horizontal grooves, reminiscent of a miniature vessel, a ceremonial headdress, or an elaborate bun. The long, cylindrical neck features pronounced horizontal grooves, a symbol of beauty and prosperity in West African traditions. The woman is depicted standing on a small, carved circular base. Her legs are slightly bent, and her glutes and calves are rounded and accentuated. Unlike statuettes that rest their hands on their abdomen, her arms extend along her body, bringing her hands and crossed fingers directly to her lower back. The body scarifications—particularly those on her prominent belly—are adorned with numerous small circular raised protrusions (keloids) forming vertical and horizontal ritual geometric patterns around the navel. The dark-patinated wood from which the figure is carved is dense and hard. It displays a beautiful patina of wear—dark and crusty in places, glossy on the protruding parts (the breasts, forehead, and thighs)—bearing witness to ritual handling and repeated anointing with oil or sacrificial substances over time. Susan Vogel doesn't mention this type of figure, allthough this motive of a slave isn´t very rare. If we are interpreting this sculpture as a Blolo Bian figure, this figure of the past life must be a slave. When I heard the first time about the cultural purpose of the Blolo Bian and the Blolo Blan, I must think about the psychological theory of C.G. Jung about the Anima and the Animus. In his essay about "The marriage as a pychological relationsship" he wrote: "Anima and Animus are both characterized by an extraordinary many-sidness. In a marriage it is always the contained who projects this image* upon the container, while the latter is only partially able to procect his unconscious image upon his partner. The more unified and simple this partner is, the less complete the projection. In which case, this highly fascinating image hangs as it were in mid air, as though waiting to be filled out by a living person." C.G. Jung, The Collected Works, volume seventeen, The Marrige as a pychological Relationsship, London 1954:198 * The Blolo Blan/Bian-cult is not an Ancestor-cult. It seems to be someting which is close to that inner world, which Jung is describing,when he invented his theory of "anima and animus". For me it´s always fascinating to compare the intellectual view of western sciencewith the spiritual experiences of african cults. W.J. Nguessan: If you had two girlfriends and one had a blolo bian and the other didn´t, wich would you take to marry? Old Man: If the two liked me, I would marry them both. Nguessan: No! You have to choose one. Old Man: I would take the one who did not have a blolo bian. Nguessan: Why? Old Man: Because of the arguments? Nguessan: What arguments? Old Man: Instead of having a rival, I would rather take the one who had none. That way we would be equals (since I have no spirit wife) (Boreakpokro, Agba region, 1994) Baule Art Western Eyes, Susan Vogel, New Haven, Yale University Press 1997: 258. Some of the information is generated by artificial intelligence and is based on published sources from the fields of ethnography, archaeology, and art history. M*A*Z*1*5*1*0*2* 2* The seller guarantees and can prove that the object was obtained legally. The seller was informed by Catawiki that they had to provide the documentation required by the laws and regulations in their country of residence. The seller guarantees and is entitled to sell/export this object. The seller will provide all provenance information known about the object to the buyer. The seller ensures that any necessary permits are/will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer immediately about any delays in obtaining such permits. Informant: Bakari