Anthropomorphic head "gle" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Wè-Guéré · ID: 3052137

Description

terracotta, cowrie snails, feathers,

A “gle” head was a sacred object and was considered a kind of spirit that was consulted especially in divination practices.

The head was modelled from clay to which all kinds of magical substances were added and which was also coated with power-giving substances to fully activate its powers.

It has been observed that a female medium, sitting on a grass mat, carried such a “gle” head on her head. Placed in a trance state, she was able to consult the spirit personified in the “gle” head and solve the problem presented to her.

The object Anthropomorphic head “gle” with the object ID 3052137 was part of the auction Auction 105 on November 15, 2025. The object with the lot number 278 achieved a sales price of EUR 750 with an asking price of EUR 500.

Here you will find more objects and interesting facts about African art.

Comparing literature

Petridis, C. (ed.), Frans M. Olbrechts 1899-1958, In search of Art in Africa, Antwerp 2001, cat. 102