20th C. Baule Wood Blolo Bla Figure, ex-Royal Athena

**Originally Listed At $250**

Western Africa, Ivory Coast, Baule peoples, ca. mid-20th century CE. A finely carved wooden female figure created by a Baule artisan of West Africa. The figure stands with delineated legs atop an integral circular platform and holds sinuous arms in front of ample hips beside the tubular abdomen. The bulbous head boasts narrow white-painted eyes, a slender nose above narrow lips, and a broad forehead, all beneath an intricately incised coiffure. Red pigment covers most of the body while additional blue-green pigment accentuates the brow, base, nipples, and pupils. This figure is known as a "Blolo Bla," a spirit wife or "dream lover" who visits the living in their dreams to serve as an oracle who can predict the future. Size: 2.125" W x 7.3" H (5.4 cm x 18.5 cm); 8.25" H (21 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection acquired before 2000; ex-Royal-Athena Gallery, New York, USA

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#135382
Condition Report: Small losses to base, a few stable fissures to base and body, with light encrustations, and minor fading to original pigmentation. Nice earthen deposits throughout. Old Royal Athena inventory sticker on verso of display stand.