Baule Blolo or Spirit Spouse Figure

White shirt, red and black spots, black shorts, sandals. Everyday dress, for the everyday spouse.

This eight-inch Baule figure from Ivory Coast portrays a spirit spouse in ordinary 20th-century dress. Carvers often gave spirit partners the clothes and grooming of the day, so they would appear handsome and prosperous to their earthly companions. The face and limbs are painted red beneath a full, rounded black hairstyle, and the hands slip toward the pockets. The sandals are picked out in black and white, and the figure stands on a red rectangular base with rubbed edges.

Small, charming, and looking forward to a stroll.