Pair of figures "lü mä" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Dan / Bété · ID: 3049238

Description

wood, rest.

Wooden figures of the Dan are called “lü mä”, “wooden person”. They usually represent women, although sometimes men are portrayed, and then frequently in male and female pairs.

Although the figures are stylized in the traditional manner, aspects of portraiture may exist in cicatrization patterns, coiffures, and other individual conditions.

The possession of figurines was considered a secular status symbol by the Dan, which only wealthy men or chiefs could afford.

The object Pair of figures “lü mä” with the object ID 3049238 was last part of the auction 99th Auction at November 12, 2022 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 239.

You can find more Figures and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.

Comparing literature

Johnson, Barbara C., Four Dan Sculptors, San Francisco 1987, p. 23 f.