The Baule judged their art by strict criteria
including a smooth finish, the clarity of line,
and
a slight inherent asymmetry; clearly this ram
would have been heralded as a masterpiece
by
the Baule themselves. The ram, and in specific
the ram’s horns, have been a potent symbol in
world mythology throughout the ages. Ancient
Egyptians worshipped multiple gods with
ram’s
heads including Khnum and the composite
deity
Amen- Ra. The Ancient Phoenician deity Ba’al,
who was adopted by the Greeks as Zeus, was
often depicted crowned with the horns of the
ram. Throughout time, spanning across
divergent cultures and civilizations, the ram
has
been a traditional symbol of male fertility and
the
hearth. The power and majesty of this beast
has
been long revered by mankind, and this was
especially true of the Baule tribe who
identified
the ram and their tribal symbol.
- (PH.0251)
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