COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
Record
AMICA ID:
CMA_.1971.297.1
AMICA Library Year:
2003
Object Type:
Sculpture
Creator Nationality:
West Africa, Ivory Coast, Baule people, 20th century
Creator Name-CRT:
West Africa, Ivory Coast, Baule people, 20th century
Title:
Figure of a Spirit Husband
Title Type:
Primary
View:
Detail
Creation Date:
early 1900s
Creation Start Date:
1900
Creation End Date:
1935
Materials and Techniques:
wood, beads
Classification Term:
Sculpture
Style or Period:
West Africa, Ivory Coast, Baule people, 20th century
Dimensions:
Overall: 49.5cm
AMICA Contributor:
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Owner Location:
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
ID Number:
1971.297.1
Credit Line:
Gift of Katherine C. White
Context:
Baule figures are generally adorned with elaborate scarifications. In the past, the Baule viewed such permanent body decorations as "marks of civilization," alluding to the opposing worlds of the village and the bush. The name given to each pattern usually refers to what it resembles. Thus, crescent shapes on the belly and calves are called ngwa, or "moon"; vertical lines fanning out from the corners of the eyes are known as ako dya, or "chicken's feet." Representing the oldest Baule pattern, the scars on the temples of this male figure are called ngole, or simply "marks." Even though body scarification is not as common among the Baule today, representing these body alterations on figural sculptures has not diminished in popularity.
Related Image Identifier Link:
CMA_.1971.297.1det02.tif
