This magnificent comb was made by the Baule
tribe of 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, in which the queen was forced
to sacrifice her son in order to ford a mighty
river. So upset was she 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
- (CK.0070)
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