These wood statues are a one of a kind pair, hand carved by the artists of West Africa.

These are Baule sculptures. The Baule people hail from Ivory Coast and are known for their active resistance to French colonization. Their sculptures are noted for their projecting jaws and depicted sharp teeth. The granular patinas on these sculptures are also peculiar to the Baule as the sculptures were used in rites. Other characteristics found in Baule sculptures are the slightly bent legs (at the knees) and the round bases upon which the figures stand. The Baule sculpture was mostly intended to represent a spiritual being.

Even though Baule clans were headed by men, they arose in a matrilineal lineage. Therefore, the female principle is always represented as higher or bigger than the male as is observed with these sculptures. The substitution of the human head with an animal’s was done so as to imbue the quality ascribed to the animals in the figures.

The beings represented here have elephant heads. This means they are authority figures. They are not ancestors or people who lived then. Rather, these are representation of guardian spirits with authority, gentle but who can do unimaginable harm. They are also fertility spirits.

The narrow wood between the protruding belly and the chest is a representation of the link between the spirit world and the living world. The protruding belly symbolizes where human beings are conceived from the lordly spirit world of the upper body. The bigger navel is given to the female figure because the navel is believed to be the source of life and also, gestation is ascribed to women.

Click here to view all of our Baule statues. Please email info@lotusmasks.comm or call us, toll free 1(866) LOTUS-12.

Care: Mainly for indoor use. Dust as needed.

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