Sitting female figure · Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3039452
Harry & Elionor Lynn, Washington DC, USA (acquired in 1974)
Description
wood, matt reddish brown patina, remains of black paint, as a sign for her noble ancestry, the feet rest on a pedestal to avoid getting in touch with the ground, slightly dam., crack on the left side of the body, partly spread with mass, missing parts through insect caused damage on the underside, spots (above all on the backside), abrasion;
most of the seated Baule figures are connected with the “asie usu”, spirits of the bush, which are secondary divinities whose favour is gained through figures. The statuette is not meant to represent the “asie usu”, a deformed and ungainly creature, but rather to pay it homage by means of an effigy which will charm it in all senses of the word, honor it, and coax it into contact with human beings.
Comparing literature
Vogel, Susan Mullin, Baule, African Art - Western Eyes, New York 1997, p. 233