Standing female figure "blolo bla" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3047993

Description

wood, base

This figure captivates with its delicate, graceful appearance, the slender, free worked arms and particularly finely worked details, such as the filigree braided plaits and the small hands.

She wears an elaborate hairstyle and is lavishly decorated with scarification marks on her face and body. According to the Baule’s sense of beauty, this figure is the idealised representation of a woman.

It is the embodiment of a “spouse from the otherworldly world”, whom the Baule believe that they can influence the fortunes of the living.

These figures were usually kept on a small altar in the bedroom, and sacrifices such as coins or eggs were offered to them.

The object Standing female figure “blolo bla” with the object ID 3047993 was part of the auction 96th Auction on April 24, 2021. The object with the lot number 172 achieved a sales price of EUR 12,000 with an asking price of EUR 4,500.

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

Lunsford, John, The Gustave & Franyo Schindler Collection of African Sculpture, Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, 1975, p. 76, ill. 23

Publications

AHDRC: 0184692