This serene piece is a spirit husband, made by the Baule group of the Ivory Coast. It is a very well-proportioned example, with comparatively short legs, a long trunk and arms which touch the hips on each side. The limbs are sectorial – with discrete joints – and unusually well-modelled. The abdomen is marked with three diagonal keloid scarifications. The head is masterfully rendered, with a crested coiffure, a long nose, downcast eyes and a sensitive mouth. The patination is glossy and irregular, indicating long usage.
The Baule are a powerful Ivory Coast group, and have built up a strong ritual and artistic heritage. Upon reaching one’s majority – and particularly during a crisis of some sort - many Baule citizens enlist the help of their otherworld spouse, a perfect partner who is linked to them and who can help them in adversity. The identity of their spouse is ascertained through divination, following which a figure representing the partner will be carved and blessed. Females have a Blolo Bian figure, males a Blolo Bla. The real-life spouse will then spend considerable time with the carving – generally one night a week – in the hope that supernatural assistance will be forthcoming. The most prestigious examples are made from ivory and/or adorned with jewellery. The appearance of the figure is technically up to the diviner and the customer, but it is interesting to note that ideal female spouses are usually represented as being young, nubile and fertile, while ideal males are older and evidently wealthy. The current piece is unusual in the evident youth and pulchritude of the man portrayed, as well as in terms of its large size.
This is an impressive piece of African art.