Tête anthropomorphe "gle" ·  Côte d'Ivoire / Libéria, Région du Cavally, Dan - Kran · ID: 3049049

Description

terracotta, feathers, cowrie shells, sheet metal,

A “gle” head was a sacred object and was considered a kind of spirit that was consulted especially in divination practices.

The head was modelled from clay to which all kinds of magical substances were added and which was also coated with power-giving substances to fully activate its powers.

It has been observed that a female medium, sitting on a grass mat, carried such a “gle” head on her head. Placed in a trance state, she was able to consult the spirit personified in the “gle” head and solve the problem presented to her. On their journey through the Ivory Coast in 1938, Frans Olbrechts and his travelling companions witnessed a “gle” session. This is documented in a photograph by P. J. Vandenhoute from 1939.

As a result of its success the cult spread among several peoples in the Upper Cavally area. It was then so popular in the Wè area that the cult spirit was compared with the Supreme Being “Nuon Swa”.

L’objet Tête anthropomorphe “gle” avec l’ID d’objet 3049049 a fait partie de la dernière vente aux enchères 99e vente aux enchères dans 12 novembre 2022 le Zemanek-Münster Hôtel des ventes. L’objet portant le numéro de lot 241 a atteint un prix de vente de 800 €.

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Littérature comparée

Petridis, C. (ed.), "Frans M. Olbrechts 1899-1958, In search of Art in Africa", Antwerp 2001, cat. 102