Gbekre Baoulé figure, Ivory Coast, wood - Lot 34

Lot 34
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Estimation :
300 - 400 EUR
Gbekre Baoulé figure, Ivory Coast, wood - Lot 34
Gbekre Baoulé figure, Ivory Coast, wood H.45cmxW.12cm So far removed from the refined and delicate artistic canon of Baoulé masks and statues, these simian statues are unlike any other objects from Baoulé culture. The names, practices and beliefs associated with these 'monkeys' were diverse, idiosyncratic and, above all, secret. These frightening cup-bearers, harboring invisible forces both evil and beneficial, served their communities through the intermediary of diviners. Because of their ambivalent powers, these statues had to be worshipped regularly. An essential morphological element of this statuary is the cup placed in the figure's hands, destined to receive frequent sacrifices.
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