Baule blolo bla spirit spouse female SUPERB Africa Start Price USD 650.00 Current Price USD 650.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, November 13, 2008 End Time Saturday, December 13, 2008 Location Denver, CO See more about 'Baule blolo bla spirit spouse female SUPERB Africa' Description Baule blolo bla spirit spouse female  African Carving Type of Object: Standing Female Figure (Blolo Bla)Ethnic Group: BauleCountry of Origin: Cote D"voire (Ivory Coast) Materials: Wood and stainApproximate Age: Early to Mid 20th CenturyDimensions: Height is 20 inches Overall Condition: Excellent Damage, Repair: Old age cracks and small chunk of base missing from under toes. Tiny chip on lip. Provenance: Unknown Additional Information: Baule people believe that people care born into the world already married. This spirit spouse has great influence, for good and evil, over life on earth. After earthly marriage, one night of the week is kept for sleeping witht he spirit spouse, and earthly spouses may not sleep together. The carvings are kept very private, and are rarely seen. Baule figurative statuary is some of the best known and most collected. Finely carved male and female figures ranging is size from 20 to 60 centimeters are generally portrayed in a standing position of formal calmness with arms close to the body and hands resting on the abdomen. Attention is focused upon the head with emphasis given to detailed face and neck scarification and elaborate coiffures. Figures are often enhanced through the addition of gold leaf or by jewelry. Baule figure sculptures fall into two categories, the first represents spirits of the wild (asie usu) that live in the bush beyond village boundaries and the second are male and female figures that represent ‘spirit world’ spouses for their owners. ‘Other world spouses’, are kept in personal shrines where offerings are made to them and where they are close by their real world spouse. The figures reflect Baule ideals of beauty and aesthetics as the female (blolo bla) and male (blolo bian) figures exhibit youthful, well formed bodies and with much attention to details of hair and scarification as well as being dressed in what is considered fashionable and in recent times in European style clothing. The well-carved figures are burnished to a dark glossy patina from much handling when being treated with the respect due an ‘other world spouse’.. This figure comes from the Baule people of Ivory Coast well known for the quality and detail of their carving. She is a “blolo bla”, a male’s “lover” in the spirit world, a representation of the physical being with whom the male could have sexual relations. Idealized ‘spirit lovers’ have emotions as do humans and can become angry with their ‘real world’ lover who then must assuage their irritation with them. To find out what caused the problem and how to resolve this anger of the other worldly ‘spirit lover’ a visit to the village diviner was called for. And as a result female figures such as this were placed in a person’s shrine upon recommendation of a diviner to resolve problems that a male might have in relations with women. But this is not enough for the individual must now sleep alone for a period and dream only of their ‘beautiful spirit lover’ and even going so far as to imagine having sexual relations with them. This figure reflects the Baule aesthetic of idealized beauty for the carving of the “spirit lover” must be as beautiful in her sculptural form as she is in her life in the ‘spirit world’. The figure need not be a photographic copy of the “spirit lover” but must reflect Baule ideals of beauty in the prime of her life, physically mature neither too young nor too old but in a perfect and healthy state of being. Her ample breasts and beautifully placed scarification characterizes her to be a ’civilized’ Baule women of mature status, in addition her elegant hairstyle depicts her as a woman of refinement and good grooming. Her stance is consistent with Baule standards showing the body in all of its femininity and sensual promise. Recommended Reading: Vogel's BAULE-AFRICAN ART WESTERN EYES**021738** 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!