Baule Blolo or Spirit Spouse Figure

Both hands on the stomach, a vivid red body, and the patience of someone who has been waiting a while.

This wooden blolo was carved by the Baule peoples of Ivory Coast in the 20th century. In Baule thought, a parallel world exists alongside the living one, and each person may have a spirit partner there whose figure is carved, kept and honored at home. The body is finely textured with incisions, the shorts are green, and dark hair caps the head above wide, outlined eyes. It stands on a rough round base.

Thirteen inches tall, with wear to the paint along the edges and feet. A well-tended spouse, it seems.