Ivory Coast
Baule

Wood, Leather, Fiber String
ca. Mid-20th century
Height: 36 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. The theme of maternity is rather typical for the Baule, as seen here with a mother holding her child on her lap.