Standing male shrine figure
Henricus Simonis, Düsseldorf, Germany
Description
wood, missing parts (insect caused damage), base
This very old figure was originally part of a pair of figures (see Mallet / Coquet, 2008, p. 46). It was presumably once placed at a shrine and shows traces of strong sacrifice, through which the goodwill of the spirits was to be obtained.
It can be assigned to the so-called “Lobi with glasses”, a term that was created around the turn of the millennium and is derived from the ring-shaped framing of the eyes. A comparable figure shown in Keller/ Katsouros, 2014, ill. S1A-96.
According to the informant Binaté Kambou, these sculptures were made by sculptors from the Puguli (or Pougouli) ethnic group.
The figures are always carved from the wood of the sacred “khaàbiri” tree, which is associated with bush spirits and plays a role in rituals.