Standing female figure "blolo bla" · Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3039434
Description
wood, entirely covered with gold leaf, carved with delicate geometrical ornaments and scarifications, slightly dam., dark spots;
the statuette was probably originally a rich man’s spirit-spouse. On his death, it became one of the sacred inalienable heirlooms of his lineage, together with other gold objects, seats and fly whisks. Representing the spirit of the ancestors, this treasure (displayed on cloths befor being locked away in a trunk and hidden even from members of the family) is brought out only for a dignitary’s funeral.
The object Standing female figure “blolo bla” with the object ID 3039434 was part of the auction 81st Tribal Art Auction on October 31, 2015. The object with the lot number 209 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,400 with an asking price of EUR 500.
You can find more Figures and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.
Comparing literature
Boyer, Alain-Michel, Baule, Milan 2008, pl. 62