Standing female figure ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Lagoons, Atie (Akye) / Ebrie · ID: 3049427

Description

wood, pigment residues, miniature glass beads, base

Strikingly beautiful figure with prominent two-lobed coiffure and finely worked details. Neck and coiffure are carved with fine grooves. An interesting detail are the small nubby scarifications, which are worked separately, and inserted into specially drilled holes.

Whereas statues are known by terms translatable as “people of wood” throughout the lagoons region, the southern Attie and Kyaman call them “nkpasopi”, “wooden sopi” , the latter a woman’s name.

Blackmun Visonà assumes, that although these examples were most likely used by traditional healers to convey messages to the spirit world and to provide spirits with physical forms, they could also have been used as prizes or portraits for dancers.

Comparing literature

Monica Blackmun Visonà in: Art of Côte d' Ivoire, Vol II, Genève 1993, p. 170

Publications

AHDRC: 0070995

Exhibition

Düsseldorf, Germany: "Afrikanische Kunst. Eine süddeutsche Sammlung", Galerie Alex Vömel, 25 November 1983 - 25 January 1984