A male Bété sculpture

A male Bété sculpture, Guinea Conakry, village N'Zerekore, standing upright, on large feet leading to very powerful legs and prominent buttocks, accentuated genitals, a columnar torso with a pointed navel, emphasized pectoral muscles and shoulder blades, strong shoulders terminating in powerful arms held away from the body, the thick elongated neck supporting an oval head, a protruding mouth with full lips, a broad nose, almond-shaped eyes, high arched brows, large ears, a vertical ridge in the center of the forehead, the abdomen covered with leaf-shaped scarification marks, the head capped by three-parted coiffure with three pigtails; brown, partly glossy surface with remnants of white pigments, the sculpture shows a long-lasting ritual use and has a beautiful touch-patina in particular on the neck, traces of age, several cracks, insect damages on the feet and buttocks, on the left pigtail an old repair. Provenance Mr. Kaba Cabinet, Bouaké, Ivory Coast.

Lit.: Burkhard Gottschalk: Kunst aus Schwarz-Afrika. Zeugnisse der Meisterschaft afrikanischer Schnitzer aus privaten Sammlungen. Band 2, Düsseldorf 2007.

900 - 1.200,- Euro

Height: 80 cm
Weight: 4.7 kg