Ivory Coast
Baule

Wood, wire strings, cloth, beads
ca. Mid-20th century
Height: 16 inches
Chordophone – Harp – Plucked

The Baule is one of the rare tribes where sculpture is produced for aesthetic appreciation as well as for ceremonial purposes. Baule wooden sculptures allow a closer contact with the supernatural world of ancestors. The image on this harp is a Baule ancestor and on each side carved in high relief are chameleons.