Standing female figure "mi iri nä" · Côte d'Ivoire, Guro · ID: 3047931
Private Collection (Jappert?), Basel, Switzerland (2014)
Koller, Geneva, 12 November 2014, Lot 109
Tao Kerefoff, Paris, France
Philippe Ratton, Paris, France
Description
wood, kaolin, glass beads, base
Figures of the Guro are not meant as portraits, neither do they depict an individual, nor a deceased or an invisible partner from the other world, as is the case with Baule “blolo” figures. They have nothing to do with the veneration of ancestors.
Rather, the figures are purchased on the advice of a diviner. They are called “mi iri nä” - “small wooden person”. According to Fischer, they belong to the cult objects called “zu” or “zuzu”, which were placed at shrines bearing the same name.
“Zuzu” are invisible spirit beings who are able to protect the house and its inhabitants from evil forces and impending dangers. The small wooden figures are mediators between the “zuzu” and the humans. In return, small pots of freshly cooked food have to be provided regularly to keep them well-disposed.
Comparing literature
Homberger, Lorenz, Fischer, Eberhard, Die Kunst der Guro, Elfenbeinküste, Zürich 1985, p. 227 f.
Publications
Fischer, Eberhard. & Homberger, Lorenz, "Die Kunst der Guro, Elfenbeinküste", Zürich, Museum Rietberg 1985, p. 233, fig.138AHDRC: 0058431
Exhibition
Zurich, Switzerland: "Die Kunst der Guro, Elfenbeinküste", Museum Rietberg, 11 May-13 October 1985