A male Baule sculpture, from Ivory Coast, posted on a square base, standing on short muscular legs with accentuated muscles, emphasized genitals, prominent buttocks, a pointed navel, emphasized pectoral muscles, square shoulders leading to fragil arms carved close to the body, large hands, one touching the abdomen, the other the beard, the torso is decorated with scarification marks on the front and the backside, a notched back line, the cylindrical neck supporting an ovoid head with a striated goatee, a pointed round mouth beneath a long nose, half closed eyes, further scarification marks of different geometric motifs on the face and on the neck, a prominent bulbous hairstyle; blackened patina, traces of age and ritual use, the base, stool, toes and backside of the legs damaged by insect bite. Certificate of authenticity and provenance.

Lit.: Susan M. Vogel: Baule. African Art, Western Eyes, 1997; Gernard de Grunne: Über den Baule-Stil und seine Meister. In: Eberhard Fischer/Lorenz Homberger: Afrikanische Meister. Kunst der Elfenbeinküste, Zürich 2014, p. 81-106; Alain-Michel Boyer: Baule. Visions of Africa, Milan 2008.

sold

Height: 53 cm
Weight: 3 kg