Janiform protective figure "thil dokpa" · Burkina Faso, Lobi · ID: 3041162
Hans Schneckenburger, Munich, Germany
Gerhard de Vos, Dormagen, Germany
Hans Reinmöller, Ratingen, Germany (1997)
Description
wood, shiny reddish brown patina, black paint, male/female, slightly dam., minor missing parts (hands, male genital), base;
“bateba” figures with janus head or body were called “thil dokpa” - “glued thil”. They belong to the so-called “extraordinary people” (“ti bala”), who show unusal physical characteristics. Such “bateba” are believed to have special power. The Lobi thought that an unusual outward appearance is equivalent to unusual talents and skills.
The object Janiform protective figure “thil dokpa” with the object ID 3041162 was part of the auction 84th Tribal Art Auction on November 5, 2016. The object with the lot number 165 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,400 with an asking price of EUR 1,000.
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Comparing literature
Meyer, Piet, Kunst und Religion der Lobi, Zürich 1981, p. 96