The term “Baga” is often used to describe the many peoples who inhabit the swampy littoral region of the Republic of Guinea between the Bissan border to the north and Conakry to the south despite the fact that they are composed of many tribes, including among them the Baga, the Landuma, and the Nalu. When viewed from the air, it is impossible to delineate where the land begins and the sea ends in this region so aptly named the “Low Coast.” While this shore area may be a paradise for mosquitoes and crabs, it is a difficult environment for human survival. However, the people have reclaimed polders from the marshland and transformed them into fertile rice fields. By their own account, the Baga claim to have arrived in this region no more than a few generations ago. This traditional history conflicts with the accounts of the first Portuguese voyagers who arrived on these shores in the sixteenth century and recorded the presence of “Bagoes” along the coast. More likely, this swampy region has played host to a variety of peoples seeking refuge from famine, war, and political upheaval. In fact, the process of migration continues today. For instance, the Fulani tribe leaves the mountains to the east between the rainy seasons and drives their livestock down to the wetlands. Today, many of the younger generation leave their tribal villages behind and flock to the perceived opportunities of the urban areas, losing sight of the traditional customs and religious ceremonies of their ancestors.

For six months of the year, the wetlands inhabited by the Baga are flooded, which effectively cuts them off from the rest of the world. In the days before roadmaps and highways, when people traversed the land using trails originally forged by migrating animals, there were few indicators of direction except for the knowledge and instincts of the voyager. If one became lost, or encountered an intersection of routes, there would be little help to know which path was the correct way to proceed. Considering that Baga land was frequently inundated, many trails may have been seasonal and prone to disappearing in the flood. In order to mediate such problems, many tribes created decorative sculptures to act both as road signs indicating directions as well as billboards that advertised which tribe controlled the territory. This gorgeous polychrome sculpture from the Baga Tribe features four figures emerging from a central axis. Two of the figures are male and they have been painted red, while the other two female figures have been colored yellow. We might interpret this figures are path markers. For instance, this work might have originally been placed high upon a base in the center of an intersection to delineate between a “red” trail and a “yellow” path. The figures are carved in a style typical of Baga sculpture, and the use of such pigments is also traditionally characteristic of the Baga tribe. If a member of a rival tribe was wondering through the terrain and came upon this marker, he would know that he has entered Baga territory and to turn back. Today, these figures no longer guide us on the correct path; but they do still remain as symbols of the Baga tribe and the beauty and refinement of their art.