Zoomorphic figure "gbekre" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Baule · ID: 3032418

Description

wood, thick encrusted greyish brown sacrificial patina, an armless trunk rising from short stump legs, the facial features coated by a thick layer of sacrificial patina, a protruding snout-like mouth, cavity on top, dam., missing parts (arms), crack (base), slight traces of abrasion, on wooden base;
“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 with a thick layer of encrusted blackish patina. They fulfill various tasks, serve for protection of the family or were used for soothsaying.

The object Zoomorphic figure “gbekre” with the object ID 3032418 was last part of the auction 68th tribal art auction at March 3, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 315 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,200.

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Publications

Gottschalk, Burkhard, Kunst aus Schwarz-Afrika vom Gimbala zum Kongostrom, Bd 1, Düsseldorf 2005, p. 222