This female seated figure from the Toumodi region in the central interior of Ivory Coast belongs to the cultural context of the Baule people, whose sculptural traditions are among the most elaborate in West Africa. Such figures are often interpreted as blolo bla (female "wives of the afterlife") and are closely linked to ideas of spiritual doppelgangers, personal destiny, and social balance.

The frontally oriented figure sits on a stool and embodies an idealized, yet individually accentuated, femininity. The finely crafted face displays differentiated ornamentation: three prominent lines between the eyebrows and groove-like bands at the corners of the mouth structure the surface and allude to scarification practices as a sign of identity and beauty. The artfully styled hair, held together by a band and divided into three sections, testifies to a high degree of craftsmanship and emphasizes status and aesthetic norms.

An elongated neck and a proportionally dominant torso lend the figure an elegant verticality. The arms lie close to the body, the hands rest on the lower abdomen—a gesture of composure and inner unity. Additional ornamental structures on the neck, chest, abdomen, and back—including a rectangular field with diagonally divided triangles—rhythmically punctuate the surface. The rope tied around the hips can be interpreted as a reference to social or ritual codes.

In its balance of naturalism and stylization, the figure manifests an aesthetic ideal that combines physical beauty with spiritual presence.

Literature (Selection)
Vogel, Susan Mullin: Baule: African Art, Western Eyes. New Haven, 1997.
Cole, Herbert M.: Icons: Ideals and Power in the Art of Africa. Washington, 1989.
Fischer, Eberhard: African Art. Munich, 2006.

CAB 46823

sold

Height: 86 cm
Weight: 8,2 kg