Protective figure "bateba phuwe" · Burkina Faso, Lobi - Birifor · ID: 3046552
Christof Vonderau, Berlin, Germany
Rainer Berner, Berlin, Germany
Description
wood, strongly encrusted patina/ sacrificial traces, base
The order to have a figure sculpted the people receive from the “thila”, invisible beings provided with supernatural powers and skills, who serve as mediatiors between god and the people.
The “bateba” become a living and active being in that moment, in that they are placed on a shrine and are subordinated to the authority of a “thil”. It then turns into mixed beings, that combine human appearance and superhuman qualities of the “thil”.
Such figures are kept in shrines as living personages that see, communicate and intervene in the life of Lobi villages in warding off disease or witchcraft.
The object Protective figure “bateba phuwe” with the object ID 3046552 was last part of the auction 94th Tribal Art Auction at March 7, 2020 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 222.
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Publications
AHDRC: 0004126