A Baule statue couple, Côte d’Ivoire, region of Daoukro. The town of Daoukro lies in the eastern-central zone of Côte d’Ivoire, within a historically important Baule settlement corridor extending between the Bandama and Comoé river systems. This region forms part of the broader Baule cultural sphere that developed following 18th-century Akan migrations from present-day Ghana into central Ivorian forest–savanna transitional zones. Daoukro occupies a savanna-forest ecotone, a geographic condition that historically facilitated agriculture (notably yam and later cocoa cultivation), regional exchange networks, and political consolidation under Baule chieftaincies. The area became a significant node in precolonial and colonial trade routes linking the interior with coastal markets. Such circulation encouraged stylistic exchange while maintaining localized workshop traditions. In art-historical terms, Baule sculpture from the Daoukro region is often associated with: Balanced, volumetric carving, neither as elongated as some western Baule styles nor as compact as certain southern examples.Refined but restrained surface modeling, with attention to facial symmetry and coiffure structure.A preference for calm frontal presentation, emphasizing composure and interiority. Regional variation within Baule art is subtle rather than sharply demarcated; workshop lineages, patronage patterns, and ritual associations often matter more than strict geographic boundaries. Nevertheless, the Daoukro zone represents a central stylistic heartland, where sculptural production reflects both adherence to Baule aesthetic canons (fɛɛ, moral beauty) and responsiveness to interregional circulation. From a museological standpoint, attribution to “Daoukro region” situates a couple sculpture within a historically dense Baule core territory, suggesting continuity with major ritual and political centers and with established carving traditions active from the 19th century onward. CAB29299 Height: 71 cm / 74 cm Weight: 4,6 kg / 5 kg