
Title | Baule Standing Female Bolo Blan Ivory Coast African Art |
---|---|
Type of Object | Carving, Figure, Statue, Sculpture |
Country of Origin | Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Ghana |
People | Baule |
Materials | Wood, pigment, cotton cloth |
Approximate Age | Mid 20th century |
Height (in) | 26 |
Width (in) | 5 |
Depth (in) | 4.5 |
Dimensions | Height: 26 Inches Width: 5 Inches Depth: 4.5 Inches 28 inches tall on base; 5.5 x 6.25 inch base |
Overall Condition | Fair. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners. Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use. We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings. Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage. |
Damage/Repair | broken coiffure at back. some chips, scrapes, and flaking encrustation. |
Additional Information: A tall standing female with hands on her belly. This carving has incredibly intricate scarification on most of her body. She is covered with a loin cloth, and she wears an attractive coiffure. The surface is weathered and worn, suggesting significant age. Equipped with a custom base for immediate display.
As a “blolo bian”, a wife of the other world, this figure reflects the Baule aesthetic of idealized beauty for the carving of the “female spirit lover." The figure does not need to be a photographic copy of the “spirit lover” but must reflect Baule ideals of beauty of the figure in the prime of her life, physically mature neither too young nor too old but in a perfect and healthy state of being.
Further reading:
P. L. Ravenhill: Baule Statuary Art: Meaning and Modernization, Institute for the Study of Human Issues, Working Paper 5 (Philadelphia, 1980)
S. M. Vogel: Beauty in the Eyes of the Baule: Aesthetics and Cultural Values, Institute for the Study of Human Issues, Working Paper 6 (Philadelphia,1980)
S. M. Vogel, Baule, African Art, Western Eyes. 1997