A Lobi sculpture, Burkina Faso, Loropeni region.

Among the Lobi people of Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, wooden sculpture plays a crucial role in mediating between the spiritual and physical worlds, particularly in the form of bateba figures—anthropomorphic beings believed to embody spirits that protect, punish, or assist humans. One particularly distinctive form is the Lobi sculpture with an upraised arm, a dynamic gesture that departs from the more restrained stances typical of many West African statuary traditions. These sculptures, carved from dense wood and often roughly finished, are highly expressive in form, with exaggerated features and a vigorous posture meant to convey agency and potency. The upraised arm is typically interpreted as a gesture of defense, aggression, or spiritual intercession, reflecting the figure’s role as an active guardian within the household shrine. These figures are not idols in the Western sense but residences for protective spirits activated through ritual consecration and offerings. As anthropologist Anita Glaze explains, “The gesture of the raised arm in Lobi figures is not ornamental but performative: it marks the moment of confrontation between the human and the invisible world, signaling the figure’s readiness to intervene on behalf of its owner” (Glaze, 1981, p. 77). Bateba with raised arms are often placed at the entrance of compounds or within domestic altars (thilduu), where they serve to ward off witchcraft, illness, or spiritual transgression. Their raw, sometimes even asymmetrical appearance is not a sign of artistic deficiency but reflects the Lobi aesthetic and spiritual preference for forceful presence over formal elegance. As Roy (1987) and Meyer (2001) have noted, the effectiveness of a sculpture is judged not by its beauty but by its perceived spiritual efficacy and the correctness of its creation, use, and consecration. In this context, the Lobi figure with an upraised arm stands as a powerful visual embodiment of resistance, protection, and moral vigilance in a world where unseen forces are constantly at play.

References:

Glaze, A. (1981). Art and Death in a Senufo Village. Indiana University Press

Roy, C. D. (1987). Art of the Upper Volta Rivers. Alain and Françoise Chaffin

Meyer, L. (2001). Lobi: Visions of Africa. Milan: 5 Continents Editions

Holas, B. (1968). Les Lobi de Côte d’Ivoire. ORSTOM, Paris

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Height: 34 cm
Weight: 200 g