Standing female figure · Côte d'Ivoire, Dan · ID: 3035078
Description
brass, with patina, elaborate coiffure and ornamental scarifications, adorned with holding a kind of scroll in front of the body, diligent work, socle;
rare genre figure, called “za mä” - “figure of metal”. Such brass figures had no religious meaning, they were used as pieces of jewellery. Only chiefs and people of higher ranks could afford them. Above all the Dan and the Kran, possibly the Kpelle, have figural brass pieces, but no one else of their neighbours have. The figures were made by specialists “zä do mä” in lost wax technique.
The object Standing female figure with the object ID 3035078 was last part of the auction 73rd tribal art auction at May 25, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 177.
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Comparing literature
Fischer, Eberhard & Hans Himmelheber, Die Kunst der Dan, Zürich 1976, p. 187, ill. 178
Publications
Galerie Alain Bovis, Visages, Paris 2003, p. 14, ill. 5