Standing female figure "blolo bla"

Description

wood, black paint, mostly peeled off so that the reddish brown patina underneath becomes visible, arms tight to the body, unusual coiffure with conical projecting lobes, radial scarifications in the corners of the mouth, rich scarifications on the body, missing parts through insect caused damage (base), fine fissures across the face, abrasion of paint, block-like base;
Baule wood-carvers produced these figurines for two distinct, unrelated rituals. Some figures were used by fortune-tellers as “spirit beings” (“asie usu”), while others were assigned to childless couples as “wives” (“blolo bla”) and “husbands” (“blolo bian”) from the realm of the unseen. The figurine types are almost impossible to distinguish from each other, and are termed “wooden people” (“waka sran”) by the Baule, who believe that every person has a partner who lives in the “other world”. With the help of fortune-tellers, these “blolo”-figurines can intervene in difficult situations or in crises in relationships. Such sculptures are especially useful for cases of childlessness. The infertile spouse spends several nights with a specially made figurine in order to conceive with the other spouse in a dream state. Offerings also encourage these “loved ones from the other world” to become active.

Comparing literature