Seated Baule figure Ivory Coast Wood H. 49 cm Baule... Lot 5

Seated Baule figure Ivory Coast Wood H. 49 cm Baule seated figure, Ivory Coast H. 19 ¼ in Provenance: - European private collection Male figure seated on a small elaborate stool, feet flat on a square base. The shape of the seat appears to be Akan-inspired. Distinctively Baule, the face is punctuated by a profusion of scarification marks. Gathered on the forehead, temples and cheeks, they frame the eyes, a small nose and a half-open mouth. Similar markings adorn the neck and the rest of the body. The chin is extended by a grooved beard. Note the copper inclusions on the forehead. With his right hand, the figure holds a hollowed-out cup or calabash to his mouth. His left hand rests on his thigh. This work is reminiscent of a similar figurine, known as the "Maître d'Ascher", acquired by Ernest Ascher around 1925. The treatment of the bodies, with their long, fleshy limbs, is filled with the same spirit of roundness and realism. The hairstyle of lateral braids framing a top shell is also similar. This figure is a fine example of the art of Baule sculptors.