Standing female ancestor figure "blolo bla" ·  Côte d'Ivoire, Baoulé · ID: 3033582

Description

wood, brown patina, small traces of black paint, beautiful face, elaborate coiffure, abundantly decorated with scarification marks, the projecting navel accentuated, slightly dam. (nose), missing part (coiffure), cracks (metal clamp on the left side of the head), rep. (breakage at the base), small traces of insect caused damage (right arm);
presumably representing a “blolo bla” figure, the female statuette of a “wife from the other world”, which - according to the Baule - every human has. Because of the traces of libation it could be a representation of an “asie usu” bush spirit as well. But unless collected in situ, the actual function of a figure cannot reliably be determined.