Baule Standing Female Figure

Eyes lowered, hands folded on the belly, knees bent. A figure in mid-thought.

Baule carvers of the Ivory Coast, West Africa, made this standing female figure in wood in the 20th century. Baule figures are often associated with spirit spouses and with ideals of beauty, and are commonly carved with composed faces and careful hairstyles. The woman here has a high crested coiffure, narrow almond eyes and a beaded necklace at the throat. Her hands rest on her abdomen, and she stands on a round base with flexed legs. The wood has a deep reddish brown surface, glossy on the face and darker around the feet.

Nineteen inches tall. Graceful, calm, and a quiet authority at any height.