Seated female figure "asie usu" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3037954

Description

wood, matt shiny black patina, kaolin, impressive figure sitting in a dignified pose, abundantly adorned with ornament and body scarifications, the coiffure elaborately designed, slightly dam., cracks (right side of the body), rep. (breakage at the left thigh);
“asie usu” figures are part of the normal equipment of “komien” (fortune-tellers), and assist them in their communication with helpful spirits. They are often displayed during sessions in which the diviner is possessed by a spirit and goes into trance. The statue must be visually appealing in order to entice a spirit to take up residence in it. Its elaborate coiffure and body scarifications symbolize a person of importance and dignity. The focus of attention is the large, carefully detailed head. The spirit is thus represented as a wise and prosperous counselor.

Comparing literature

Fagaly, William, Ancestors of Congo Square, New Orleans 2011, p. 118 ff.