A Baule Figure, "waka sran" ("blolo-bian") Lot n° 30

Male figure, "waka sran" ("blolo-bian") Baule, Côte d'Ivoire Mit Sockel / with base Wood, textile, glass beads. H 39,5 cm. Provenance: - According to inventory note: Galerie La Reine Margot, Paris, France. - According to inventory note: Paul Gnaegi, La Chaux-de-Fonds (1962). - Georges-Jacques Haefeli (1934-2010), La Chaux-de-Fonds (1984). - Christian Zingg (1956-2023), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (2020). "We cannot live without beautiful things" - this confession of a Baule could also come from the mouth of a Western art lover. Surrounding themselves 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. --------------------------------------------------------------- Homage to Christian Zingg After his studies at the University of Neuchâtel, Christian Zingg (1956-2023) embarked on a career as a mathematics and physics teacher in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The overwhelming number of his former students and colleagues who attended his funeral shows the extent to which he was appreciated as a teacher there. His interest in art and its history manifested itself in various directions: At the height of his career, he purchased the Villa Jaquemet in his hometown, built by Le Corbusier in 1908. Before that, Christian had embarked on a long journey as a collector, initially turning to ancient coins. As a scientist who wanted to get to the bottom of things, he quickly trained in reading coin inscriptions and eventually became a specialist in Roman numismatics. Among other things, he co-authored the 468-page work "Les empereurs romains," which was published in 1994 and reprinted in 2009. Due to health problems, he decided to retire early and devote himself to his family and his passions. With a marked generosity towards his relatives and friends and an always open mind to new cultural horizons, he had started in 2016 with a collection of African art that very quickly led him, in his unquenchable thirst for knowledge, to seek information from the best sources, build a library, browse museums and visit auctions and fairs, not forgetting the Puces de Lyon, where he loved to stroll in search of unique finds. His passion never left him until the last moment, not even when he was lying in bed not far from his home, wishing that his relatives would bring him some of his favorite pieces, from which he found it difficult to part. (François Mottas) CHF 1 000 / 2 000 Some of the cracks filled with resin. Some of the cracks filled with resin. ------------------------------------ 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 Zus