Baule Blolo or Spirit Spouse Figure

Flat-topped hair, an elegantly ringed neck, and the calm of natural brown wood.

Sixteen inches tall, this Baule spirit spouse from Ivory Coast was carved in the 20th century. Likenesses of spirit partners were kept in the private part of the home, where owners could honor them and seek their goodwill. The face is calm, with heavy-lidded eyes and a straight nose. The hands meet at the belly, and the legs, carved with knees and short trousers, rise from a roughly cut block base. The weathered surface shows fine checking, and a crack runs down the torso.

Nothing painted, nothing hurried.