RON BROWNSON ESTATE AUCTION 1 Tuesday, 4 November 2025 / 10:00 am start
Nigerian tribal wood figure, (probably Baule),
Lot Details
with pronounced facial features and scarification to torso. H.37cm Cat. Note/Ref.: Like this piece, Baule statues are usually carved standing on a base with legs slightly bent and their hands resting on their abdomen in a gesture of peace. Their elongated necks support a face with raised scarification marks and bulging eyes. The coiffure is very detailed and is divided into plaits. Baule statues were carved for two purposes: the first was to incarnate a spirit of the bush, Asie Usu; the second was to represent a spouse from the other world, Blolo Bla or Blolo Bian. The Baule believe every person has such a spouse, who is responsible for practical and spiritual problems that arise in life. Carved under the direction of the village diviner, such statues are kept in a person's room and rubbed on the owner's skin, giving them a shiny patina (Bacquart, The Tribal Arts of Africa, 1998). Acquisition/Prov.: John Cordy Limited 8/18/2020
