Baule colonial period Blolo bla figure, Ivory Coast
wood
10" tall
an authentic figure with some signs of age and use
This object is being sold on consignment from a private collection, MA.
$200
This male figure most likely represents a sculpture made for a spirit wife, Blolo bla. According to Vogel, 'these
figures represent an ideal of man or womanhood, embodying not only physical perfection, but social, moral and
intellectual achievement. Spirit spouse sculptures can be seen as a kind of opposite sex alter ego and are a
fascinating case of the use of art in Africa for individual psychological relief. The Baule are one of a number of
African groups who believe that before birth, human beings all had Blolo bla (spirit wife) and Blolo bian (spirit
husband) spouses in the other world who can influence their lives. Baule artists and their nearby neighbors seem
to be the only artists in Africa who traditionally carved figural representations of spirit spouses'
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