Standing female figure "bateba phuwe" ·  Burkina Faso, Lobi · ID: 3033354

Description

wood, shiny middle brown patina, rising from long legs, supporting a stocky body with bulging abdomen and accentuated navel, an oval head with heart-shaped deepened facial plane, visible teeth and cap-like headgear, min. dam., missing part (left foot tip), fissures, on wooden base;
the Lobi differentiate between four types of “bateba” protective figures: “bateba phuwe” (the so-called “ordinary bateba”), “bateba bambar” (“paralyzed bateba”), “bateba ti puo” (“dangerous persons”) and “bateba ti bala” (“the extraordinary persons”). Present figure belongs to the type of “ordinary bateba”, because it shows no special gesture or any physiological symptom.

The object Standing female figure “bateba phuwe” with the object ID 3033354 was last part of the auction 70th tribal art auction at September 8, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 227.

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Comparing literature

Bognolo, Daniela, Lobi, Mailand 2007, ill.7