Staff "tefalipitya" or "daleu" for a champion cultivator · Côte d'Ivoire, Senufo · ID: 3042625
Heinz Kolerski, Fellbach, Germany
Description
wood, rich slightly sticky black patina, typically crowned by a seated female figure, separately worked and fit on the staff, abundantly adorned, slightly dam., abrasion of paint, rep. (horn tip above forehead rest.), breakage (seat/back leg of the stool), cracks (staff).
The sculpted figure always represents a “pitya” - a young unmarried woman at the peak of her physical beauty. “Te-fali-pitya” means “hoe-work-girl”.
The object Staff “tefalipitya” or “daleu” for a champion cultivator with the object ID 3042625 was part of the auction 87th Tribal Art Auction on November 11, 2017. The object with the lot number 147 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,600 with an asking price of EUR 800.
Here you will find more objects and interesting facts about African art.
Comparing literature
Vogel, Susan, For spirits and kings, African Art from the Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection, New York 1981, p. 48 f.