Fine 20th C. Burkina Faso Lobi Wood Female Figure

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Fine Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic Art

By Artemis Gallery

Dec 2, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-12-02 10:00:00 2021-12-02 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Fine Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-art-7918
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• Lot Description
  West Africa, Burkina Faso, Lobi peoples, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A fabulous, hand-carved wooden female figure known as a bateba phuwe, which translates to "ordinary wooden carved figure." The fascinating figure stands atop slightly bent legs, presenting a distended abdomen, pointed breasts, sloped shoulders, and slender arms that bend at her sides. Resting upon the stocky neck is a bald head which boasts bulging eyes beneath an arched brow, a triangular nose, and full lips, all flanked by a pair of cupped ears. Size: 3.6" W x 15.2" H (9.1 cm x 38.6 cm); 17" H (43.2 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  Bateba, such as this example, served as intercessors between protective spirits, known as Thila, and humans. The Lobi believe that bateba can carry out the orders of these spirits, such as protecting a household from evil or flying through the night to warn of danger. What bateba represent can vary greatly throughout Lobi country. While in some cases bateba are associated with ancestral spirits, in others they represent "returned people" who passed away several generations back. As bateba statue carvers receive no special status and little or no payment for completed carvings, bateba display a wide variety of styles, forms, and finishes. Their only important feature is that they resemble the human form. Thus, there exists no classification of forms or attitude of bateba; a statue with one form can symbolize different things depending on its owner, while a statue of the same form may represent something else, or a statue of a different form can have the same significance. Though bateba phuwe serve the purpose of protection from illness, witchcraft, and sorcery, other bateba are thought to help in other areas of life, such as in aiding single men in finding suitable partners or easing the owner's sadness in grief by taking on their mourning. A figure like this one would have been placed on an altar or shrine with other local bateba.
  
  Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-New York, USA collection
  
  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.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
  
  Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
  
  #163218

  Condition

  A few minor nicks and abrasions. Otherwise, intact and excellent with light earthen deposits and nice patina. Collection label on base of stand.
• Shipping Info

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