Female figure

Object Details

Baule artist

Label Text

Among the Baule of Côte d'Ivoire, gold-covered wooden figures, fly whisk handles, sword hilts, knife handles, linguist staff finials, combs, hair pins and other objects, including non-functional gongs and strikers, lanterns, jugs, trumpets, rifles, hats and umbrellas, are prestige items owned by chiefs and individuals of high status. They are part of the family's inheritance and are linked to ancestral forces and the soul of the family. Gold-covered objects are placed on display at funerals, certain masquerade performances and ceremonies associated with leadership.

Gold-leafing is a centuries-old technique that may have been introduced to the Baule of Côte d'Ivoire from the Akan region of Ghana. In gold-leafing a small pellet of gold is repeatedly hammered and turned on an anvil to achieve a uniformly thin sheet. This leaf of gold is then placed on an ornately carved object and affixed with tiny metal staples or an adhesive.

This gold-leaf figure is a marvelous example of Baule aesthetic concepts. The figure's pose, coiffure and body scarification patterns reflect Baule notions of ideal social and moral qualities. Careful attention was paid to those elements that define the ideal person from a Baule perspective. According to the research of art historian Susan Vogel, an elaborate coiffure made of close, even parallel grooves reflects Baule notions of social decorum and draws attention to the head, the seat of freedom and intelligence. Raised scarification marks on the face, neck and abdomen reflect Baule ideas of a civilized and socialized human being. A straight, strong neck suggests the ability to carry heavy loads and exemplifies an upright, moral person who has honor, pride and the esteem of others. Full-rounded calves indicate one who is both strong and willing and able to perform hard work. Coupled with an overall balance of form and fineness of design and execution, this gilded figure epitomizes the best in Baule figure sculptures and, from a Baule perspective, fulfills the all-important criterion–that this waka sran, or "person in wood," resembles a human being.

Description

Standing female figure carved of wood, covered in gold leaf, with a fiber loin cloth draped over glass waist beads. The head has a crested coiffure of closely-spaced incised linear patterns and wider curvilinear bands. Raised marks adorn the forehead, temples and cheeks. The figure has wide elliptical eyes, gracefully curving brows, a delicately shaped nose and small pursed lips. The columnar neck is ornamented with cross-hatched patterns and raised bands. The elongated torso, with slender arms and flattened hands resting on the protruding abdomen, is covered with horizontal and vertical registers of incised cross-hatching, diagonal lines, and diamond patterns. A slight protuberance indicates the navel. Rounded hips and buttocks lead to relatively short legs bent at the knees and with rounded calves; the feet are fairly flat and rest firmly on the figure's rectangular base. These areas are also ornamented with incised patterns. Thin sheets of gold leafing are affixed to the surface and pick up carved designs. The figure is in excellent condition; there is some loss in the gold foil at the front and bottom of the base.

Provenance

A. Protopchaltis, Greece, 1920

de Monbrison, Paris

Hubert Goldet, Paris, -- to 2001

Exhibition History

Pavilion: A New Look, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 9, 2019–ongoing

African Mosaic: Selections from the Permanent Collection, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2013–August 12, 2019 (deinstalled July 9, 2019)

African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2010-November 13, 2013

Treasures, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 17, 2004-August 15, 2005

Published References

Maples, Amanda, Ashby Johnson, Marian, and Dumouchelle, Kevin D., 2018, Good As Gold, Washington, D.C.: NMAfA, Smithsonian, p. 19, illustrated p. 20

Boyer, Alain-Michel. 2008. Visions of Africa: Baule. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, pp. 145, 155, no. 62.

Patton, Sharon F. 2004. Treasures: Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution. Folio.

Moffett, Dana and Stephen P. Mellor. 2003. The Curator-Conservator Collaboration: Remembering Roy Sieber." African Arts 36 (2), pp. 50-51, no. 12a-b.

Arts Primitifs. 2001. Collection Hubert Goldet. Paris, pp. 124-125.

Rigault, Patricia. 1995. "Gilded male figure." Africa: The Art of a Continent. ed. by Tom Phillips. Munich: Prestel; London: Royal Academy of London, p. 451, no. 5.117.

Vogel, Susan Mullin. 1997. Baule: African Art, Western Eyes. New Haven: Yale University Press, p. 197.

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Credit Line

Museum purchase

Late 19th to early 20th century

Object number

2001-9-1

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Figure

Medium

Wood, gold leaf, glass beads, cloth, fiber

Dimensions

H x W x D: 27.5 x 6.5 x 7.5 cm (10 13/16 x 2 9/16 x 2 15/16 in.)

Geography

Vallée du Bandama or Lacs District, Côte d'Ivoire

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

On View

NMAfA, Pavilion Gallery

Object Name

sika blawa

National Museum of African Art

Topic

male

female

Record ID

nmafa_2001-9-1

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7700fcbbc-db4a-418c-9e7d-5402ee75d450