Standing female ancestor figure

Description

wood, black patina, adorned with strings of miniature glass beads, raised scarification marks, surmounted by a diadem-like coiffure, both hands resting on the bulging abdomen of a pregnant woman, straight posture with proudely raised head, slightly dam., minor missing parts, paint rubbed off, on block-like base;
the small ethnical group of the Kulango belongs to the Volta people, living on the northeastern Ivory coast, north of the Agni and Abron. Their geographical position is reflected in their works of art. Characteristic for the Kulango are the mostly blackened objects sometimes with accents of white or blue pigment.