Baule Seated Figure , Cote dIvoire, African Art Start Price USD 350.00 Current Price USD 350.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Tuesday, November 04, 2008 End Time Thursday, December 04, 2008 Location Denver, CO See more about 'Baule Seated Figure , Cote dIvoire, African Art' Description Title: Baule Seated Female Figure Type of Object: Carving, statue Ethnic Group: Baule Country of Origin: Cote d'Ivoire Materials: Wood, pigment, beads Approximate Age: Second half of the 20th century Dimensions: 32 inches Overall Condition: Good Damage, Repair: missing arms, cracks on the head, neck, left breast and shoulder, and in the base, stain, chips in places Additional Information: A majestic seated female figure in the finest Baule style. The beautiful striated hairstyle is impressive. The face is so sublime and sensitively-rendered that there is a possibility that this piece represents a specific person, though most likely it represents an idealized female ancestor. The white pigment on the surface and the attention to sculptural lines make this figure unique despite the fact that the arms are broken. Baule figures might represent the wild spirits (asie usu) that live in the bush beyond village boundaries and or the ‘spirit world’ spouses. The spirit lover figures are known as ‘Blolo Bla’. Though representing bush spirits the asie usu are shown as wild spirits in beautiful bodies. These figures were used by trance diviners known as komien and were kept in a shrine in the diviner’s house where the spirit of the bush could inhabit or ‘sit’ on the figure. Other figures in shrines served specific local ritual purposes. The obvious wear and differences of the color of the surface indicates some age for the figure and the remains of offering on the face reinforce the thought that the figure was once in a shrine where she would receive offerings. Her seated position with one hand resting on her thigh and the other offering her breast reflects a sense of dignity and self-possession. This posture reflects Baule aesthetics showing the body in all of its femininity and sensual promise and her bulging abdomen the idea of fertility, as she may be pregnant. Attention is focused upon the head with emphasis given to the well-carved details of the face with arched eyebrows, rounded forehead and well-shaped mouth and an elaborate hairstyle depicts her as a woman of refinement and good grooming. The idealization of the Baule female figure is emphasized through the patterns of scarification on her body, front and back, her neck and face. This is a classic Baule figure and figures of this age and classic proportions are uncommon and would be well placed in a collection. Further reading: P. L. Ravenhill: Baule Statuary Art: Meaning and Modernization, Institute for the Study of Human Issues, Working Paper 5 (Philadelphia, 1980) S. M. Vogel: Beauty in the Eyes of the Baule: Aesthetics and Cultural Values, Institute for the Study of Human Issues, Working Paper 6 (Philadelphia,1980) S. M. Vogel, Baule, African Art, Western Eyes. 1997 I have examined this piece and agree with the descriptionNiangi Batulukisi, Ph.D. **033924** All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006 Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers! Please visit our About Us page. SquareTrade © AP6.0 PesaMember Place a Bid!