The Baule (or Baoule) people are one of the
biggest and most powerful and largest ethnic
group in West Africa. Their Ivory Coast homeland
lends itself to sedentary agriculturism, so they
have been able to build up a considerable
political and economic stronghold, which has in
turn given rise to a strong ritual and artistic
heritage. Their own creation story relates to an
ancient migration (seemingly from Ghana,
escaping the Asante), in which the queen was
forced to sacrifice her son in order to ford a
mighty river. So upset was she by this that all she
could say was “baouli” (“the child is dead”), thus
giving rise to the tribe’s name. The
sculptures
made by the Baule reflect their belief system, and
is intimately linked with the duality of the sexes
and the civilised/wild character of the village vs.
the ‘bush’. Bush spirits and spirit spouses –
otherwordly partners that appear in dreams, and
who must be appeased – are notable artistic
accomplishments of the Baule, in addition to
naturalistic and deconstructed zoomorphic
figures and masks, which relate to cultic activity
and ceremonial celebration of fertility,
agriculture and appeasement of ancestors or
potentially harmful natural forces.
In
addition to
ritually linked art, however, the Baule also delight
in the decoration of utilitarian objects, such as
containers, staffs and the current heddle pulley.
These objects are still used for weaving the
dense, colourful fabrics that characterise Central
West Africa, and craftsmen rarely miss the
opportunity to decorate these everyday objects
with naturalistic or geometric motifs that elevate
them to outstanding works of art in their own
right.
The current example depicts a
female’s
head as the handle of the pulley, with a serene
expression, finely carved facial features and
keloid scarifications on the forehead, neck and
cheeks. The forehead is high and domed, with
geometrically-arranged eyebrow arches
incorporated into a “T” with the thin, delicate
nose. The tranquil effect of the face is
heightened by the small, pursed lips that
protrude at the apex of the straight jawline. The
coiffure is exceptionally ornate, with a mounted
peak of hatched steps culminating in a pierced
cylindrical eminence with banded decoration at
the very apex of the head. The pulley is
decorated with bands of squared, hatched and
diamante incised designs, and the whole piece
has a beautiful patina of use wear that reflects
its
considerable age.
