Standinfg female figure "bateba phuwe" ·  Burkina Faso, Lobi · ID: 3042592

Description

wood, encrusted patina, traces of red and white pigment, elongated upper part of the body with flat breasts, striking large eyes with bulging eyeballs, slightly dam., insect caused missing parts (both legs), cracks, abrasion of paint, base.
With the Lobi, the so-called “thila” are responsible to give ritual instructions to the people. The “thila” are invisible beings provided with supernatural powers and skills, who serve as mediatiors between god and the people. In case of problems the “thila” give order to have a figure sculpted. These figures are called “bateba” and have to fulfill a special task within a temporary fixed time.

The object Standinfg female figure “bateba phuwe” with the object ID 3042592 was last part of the auction 87th Tribal Art Auction at November 11, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 217 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,800.

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