Female spirit spouse "blolo bla" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3034485

Description

wood, dark brown patina, remains of a shiny black patina on the face, elaborate carved, a well-formed body, regular facial features, a fine grooved traditional hairstyle, forming an arc from one ear to the other (explicitly named “trè ba”), but without the typical pigtail at the back of the neck (known as “trè si kpolè), rich scarification marks, abundant adorned with beaded necklaces, slightly dam., paint rubbed off, cracks (forehead, back of the base), socle;
both hands rest on the belly near the navel, as if to draw attention to it, perhaps in reference to the Baule expression “bla yolè ngwan nyama” - " the woman holds the rope of life”.
the Baule are one of the few peoples to have statuettes depicting a spouse who lives in a parallel world and manifests himself out of jealousy, giving rise to impotence or sterility in his living partner. In order to ingratiate himself with this spirit, a person has an effigy made which will become its dwelling place. This is why the sculpture takes the form of the ideal physical specimen and includes the subtle embellishments found in life: charming curves, fine scarifications, and a glowing skin.