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THBEarly 20th C. Baule Wood Blolo Bian Figure
Lot 221
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$1,800 - $2,500
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| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Jun 20, 2019
Set Reminder
2019-06-20 10:00:00
2019-06-20 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Ancient / Ethnographic From Around the World
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-ethnographic-from-around-the-world-4217
Around the world & back in time - be amazed at the treasures you will find. Antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian Icons, Fine Art, much more! All categories, all price ranges.. all legal Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Around the world & back in time - be amazed at the treasures you will find. Antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian Icons, Fine Art, much more! All categories, all price ranges.. all legal Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (447)
- Lot Description
West Africa, Cote d'Ivoire, Baule peoples, ca. early 20th century CE. A fabulous carved wooden standing figure known as a "blolo bian" (literally "spirit husband"). This example boasts a slender body with ritual scarification marks, arms held to hips, delineated legs atop an integral rectangular plinth, and a stocky neck. The visage is composed of semicircular eyes, a narrow nose with flared nostrils, full lips curled into a slight smile, and a bulbous forehead, with dozens of additional ritual scarification marks detailing the face beneath an incised, crested coiffure. Fabulous dark-brown patina envelops the entire composition and makes this an attractive example from the Ivory Coast! Size: 3.75" L x 3.25" W x 15.5" H (9.5 cm x 8.3 cm x 39.4 cm); 16.75" H (42.5 cm) on included custom stand.
Figures like this example are known as "blolo bian" - an ancestral "dream husband" sculpture that would be placed in the home, looked after and attentively cared for, as such special figures are believed to act as a medium between the living and spiritual realms. Male blolo bian figures - as well as their female counterparts known as "blolo bla" (literally "dream wife") - are also called "dream lovers" because they are believed to visit the living in their dreams and may serve as an oracle who can predict the future or act as a lover in one's dreams.
A stylistically-similar example, of a slightly-larger size and with a hanging goatee, hammered for EUR 10,000 ($11,134.90) at Christie's, Paris "Art Africain et Oceanien" auction (sale 3521, December 11, 2012, lot 55): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/sculptures-statues-figures/statuette-baoule-baule-figure-cote-divoire-5639170-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5639170&sid=2abbe1dd-c968-43d7-8ecb-49cfac7375d2
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Joan Oestreich collection, New York, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
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#147161Losses to back areas of integral plinth from insect damage as shown. Minor abrasions to base, legs, body, and head, with a few stable fissures, and softening to some finer incised details. Nice earthen deposits as well as fabulous brown patina throughout.Condition
- Shipping Info
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