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Seated upon a stool, the foremost symbol of
royal authority in Africa, this sculpture most
likely represents a queen mother. Her intricately
styled coiffure featuring a central crest, two large
bunds on the side, and two braided locks that
fall along her neck and rest on her shoulders
reflects her high-ranking status and
overwhelming beauty. Futhermore, the raised
scarifications that cover her face and body are
considered both prestigious marks of rank as
well as symbols of her sexual desirability.
Certain specific scars, like the grid pattern in
between her eyes and on the sides of her mouth
are indicative of the Baule people and would
identify her as a part of this tribe. Clearly, this
woman is a person of noble rank who held an
esteemed role within her society. Most likely,
this sculpture was commissioned by her relatives
after she passed away to commemorate her life.
The Baule people believed that the spirits of the
deceased continued to play an active role in the
life of their descendants. By creating memorial
sculptures and presenting it with proper
sacrifices and libations, the relatives of the
deceased could influence the favor of the spirit.
It is likely that this woman was particularly
fertile, as evident by the two children seated on
her knees, both of whom reach up and clasp her
breasts, and the child on her back who clings on
tightly to her. By honoring this woman and her
fecundity, her ancestor would hope to invoke her
reproductive powers so that they too can bear
many children and be blessed with a large family.
This sculpture depicts the penultimate African
mother queen, a woman of such beauty and
fecundity that her memory continues to influence
the lives of her ancestors.
- (X.0195)
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