A Baule maternity sculpture

A Baule maternity sculpture, Ivory Coast, posted on a ridged rectangular base, seated on a one-legged chair, the delicate feet and elongated toes supporting muscular legs leading to rounded hips, a slender torso with pendant conical-shaped breast and rounded shoulders, arms angled forwards holding one child on each leg, an elongated cylindrical neck supporting an oval head, a stylized mouth beneath a triangular nose framed by large, open eyes, bordered all around, the whole figure is covered with scarification patterns of varied geometric motifs, the female wears a cloth encircling the hips and yellow, white and brown pearl string around the neck, the child on her left leg wears a pearl chain around the waist, capped by a sophisticated striated four-parted coiffure; brown encrusted patina, traces of age and ritual use.

Lit.: Susan M. Vogel: Baule. African Art, Western Eyes, 1997; Gernard de Grunne: Über den Baule-Stil und seine Meister. In: Eberhard Fischer/Lorenz Homberger: Afrikanische Meister. Kunst der Elfenbeinküste, Zürich 2014, p. 81-106; Wolfgang Jaenicke: Maternities West African Art.

500 – 600,- Euro

Height: 46 cm
Weight: 1,1 kg