A male Baule bell beater, Ivory Coast, the handle is anthropomorphized into the male figure who is placed on an oval base, sitting on a stool, knees slightly bent, both hands are resting on the stomach, his slender torso is standing upright, mounted by a thick and elongated cylindric neck who carries a large oval head, the features are calm, relaxed, emphasized by the half closed eyes staring in front of him, a slim nose and a small mouth underneath of which is a goatee, the hair is pulled back in a single long braid. The top of the head is carrying a crescent shaped mask with human features , which is the piece of the object that will be in contact with the bells, there are two pieces of fabric, one tied to the stool, one in the place at the extremity of the crescent. The stomach, back and face are indented with scarifications and keloids that are a sign of beauty and status in Baule culture; some wear throughout the sculpture sign of use.

“Handheld P-shaped wood beaters like this, known as lawre waka or lawle, are used in the Ivory Coast by diviners (komien) to strike a flat, flanged iron bell whose steady beat helps to induce and maintain a trance state. The entranced speaks with the voices of nature spirits to prescribe cures. The bell's sounding may last for hours, and after it is silenced may resume if the trance begins to wane. The handles of these mallets are typically carved to represent a coil, but in this example that motif has been replaced by an elegantly sculpted female figure with an elaborate coiffure. Aligned within the padded crescent-shaped striking portion of the mallet is a masklike dje (steer) head that also helps to transform a musical accessory into a work of art. Lawle are one of only a few items in which the Baule people incorporate dje heads."

Source: The MET

sold

Height: 30,5 cm
Weight: 120 g