Baule Blolo or Spirit Spouse Figure

Black, softly glossy, and solidly built. The head is large, as though thinking something over.

This twelve-inch Baule spirit spouse from Ivory Coast dates to the 20th century. The Baule believe in a spirit world alongside the living one, and figures like this were carved to honor the partner a person has there. The incised hairline, heavy-lidded eyes and long nose sit on a strongly ringed neck. Hands rest on the belly, and the knees are slightly flexed in the classic Baule stance. The round base is mounted on a metal plate.

Compact. Composed. Wholly unbothered.