Standing female figure · Côte d'Ivoire, Lagoons, Atie (Akye) / Ebrie · ID: 3049427
Alex Vömel (1897-1985), Düsseldorf, Germany
German Private Collection
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.
The object Standing female figure with the object ID 3049427 was part of the auction 99th Auction on November 12, 2022. The object with the lot number 7 achieved a sales price of EUR 5,700 with an asking price of EUR 4,500.
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Comparing literature
Monica Blackmun Visonà in: Art of Côte d' Ivoire, Vol II, Genève 1993, p. 170
Publications
Expo cat.: "Afrikanische Kunst. Eine süddeutsche Sammlung", Galerie Alex Vömel, Düsseldorf, 1984
AHDRC: 0070995
Exhibition
Düsseldorf, Germany: "Afrikanische Kunst. Eine süddeutsche Sammlung", Galerie Alex Vömel, 25 November 1983 - 25 January 1984