A Baule Figure, "asie usu" Lot n° 29

Male figure, "asie usu". Baule, Côte d'Ivoire Mit Sockel / with base Wood. H 25,5 cm. Provenance: Beatrice Leutert and Marcel Plüss, Thurgau, Switzerland. "We cannot live without beautiful things" - this confession of a Baule could also come from the mouth of a Western art lover. Surrounding oneself with charming objects was a similarly fundamental concern for the Baule in Côte d'Ivoire as it is for Western collectors of African art. This Baule view of life was expressed in finely crafted ritual figures as well as in lovingly decorated objects of daily use. The attribution of the figures called "waka sran" (also "waka-sona") (waka = wood, sran or sona = person, statue, idol) is difficult outside the social context and in retrospect. In general, a distinction is made in usage between symbolic partners from the "other world" and divination figures, although the boundary between these groups was often fluid. The loving blolo-bla and blolo-bian figures are based on the idea that every Baule has a spiritual partner in the afterlife (blolo = other world), i.e. a wife (bla) or a husband (bian), and must strive to live with him in the best possible relationship. If he does not succeed in this, his afterlife partner makes his life difficult. The more sacrificed "divination figures" are called asye-usu and are related to all untamed things of nature. They were used in ritual acts to gain the attention of the bush spirits. These omnipresent beings always had to be appeased, also because they were considered extremely capricious and could occasionally take possession of the unwary. Further reading: Vogel, Susan M. (1997). Baule. Yale: University Press. CHF 300 / 600 Right foot reattached after break. Right foot reattached after break. ------------------------------------ The condition (wear, eventual cracks, tear, other imperfections and the effects of aging etc. if applicable) of this lot is as visible on the multiple photos we have uploaded for your documentation. Please feel free to contact Hammer Auctions for all questions you might have regarding this lot (info@hammerauktionen.ch). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Hammer Auctions shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. In the rare event that the item did not conform to the lot description in the sale, Hammer Auctions is here to help. Buyers may return the item for a full refund provided you notify Hammer Auctions within 5 days of receiving the item. ------------------------------------ The condition (any wear, signs of use, cracks, any other deterioration and the signs of age etc.) of this lot can be seen in the photos we have uploaded for your documentation. Hammer Auctions will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this item (info@hammerauktionen.ch). Any statements regarding the condition of the items made as a matter of fact to prospective buyers are opinions only and should not be treated as statements of fact. Hammer Auctions assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions. In the rare event that the item does not match the description in the catalog, Hammer Auctions is here to help. Buyers may return the lot for a full refund, provided they notify Hammer Auctions within 5 days of receiving the lot.