Sculpture - Wood - Baoulé - Ivory Coast

A Baule maternity sculpture, Ivory Coast, region Buaflé, seated on a chair, elongated slender arms angled, holding a child in front of the abdomen, rings on each upper arm, hanging, tapering breasts, rounded shoulders, an ovoid elongated head with a protruding mouth beneath a slender concave curved nose framed by large open eyes, the eyebrows extend beyond a semicircle and are connected in the middle by four small rectangular scarification marks, semi-circular ears with a triangle embedded in the middle, scarification marks all over the sculpture, fine grooved hairline, asymmetric headdress with an artificially designed hairstyle in a striated manner; shiny black surface, traces of age and ritual use. Lit. : Susan M. Vogel: Baule. African Art, Western Eyes, 1997; Wolfgang Jaenicke: Maternities West African Art.