Standing male ape figure "gbekre" · Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3036495
Description
wood, black and red patina, sacrificial traces, a compact and strong body, provided with a big teeth-revealing mouth, dam., missing parts through insect caused damage (base), cracks, slight traces of abrasion;
“gbekre” figures belong to secret societies, village communities or individual families. They always look wild and aggressive. They are currently sacrificed with blood and eggs, which is why the whole figure is coated by a thick layer of encrusted blackish patina. They fulfill various tasks, serve for protection of the family or were used for soothsaying.
The object Standing male ape figure “gbekre” with the object ID 3036495 was last part of the auction 76th tribal art auction at March 22, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 177.
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Comparing literature
Boyer, Alain-Michel, Baule, Milan 2008, pl. 36