Baule Blolo or Spirit Spouse Figure

Harmony is a project. In Baule tradition, it takes a carved figure to keep it up.

This blolo, or spirit spouse, was carved in the Ivory Coast in the 20th century. Baule tradition holds that a parallel world runs beside the world of the living, where every person has a partner, and a figure made of that partner was meant to keep the relationship in harmony. She is almost twelve inches tall and holds both hands to a rounded abdomen marked with crosshatched scarification. The face is serene, with raised marks at the temples and a crested coiffure. The knees are gently bent, and incised toes grip the round base.

The patina is deep, glossy reddish-brown. She seems at ease with the arrangement.