Maternité ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3038370

Description

wood, matt brown patina, noble facial features, fine grooved projecting coiffure, rich scarification marks, carved in seated posture, wearing a loincloth, presumably depicting a woman of high social rank, slightly dam., cracks, rep. (crest, foot tips), abrasion of paint, block-like base;
figures like the present should encourage fertility and successful births. Baule classification for sculptures such as this is “waka sran”, literally “person of wood”.This sculpture would be appreciated for its aesthetic qualities, with phrases such as “o e fe” (“it is pleasing”).

Comparing literature

Vogel, Susan Mullin, Baule - African Art - Western Eyes, New York 1997, p. 96