African Lobi Wood Nude Bateba Figure (Guardian)

**Originally Listed At $300**

West Africa, Burkina Faso, Lobi peoples, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A carved wooden nude bateba figure standing on thick legs with prominent male genitalia, protruding navel, and a glass bead necklace strand around its neck. The functions of the bateba carvings varied regionally but were generally used for protection and in healing rituals as intermediaries between the Lobi people and the guardian spirits. The statues are often placed on a shrine, and chicken blood, millet beer, and shea butter are often smeared over their surface as offerings. Size: 7" L x 7.5" W x 30" H (17.8 cm x 19 cm x 76.2 cm); 31" H (78.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Eason Eige collection, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

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#138285
Condition Report: Chipping and flaking to the surface layers and pigments. Gouges and abrasions to high pointed areas. Dark patina and heavy encrustations throughout.