Antique and rare Baule statuette representing an anthropomor - Lot 81

Antique and rare Baule statuette representing an anthropomorphic "Gbèkré" monkey, Ivory Coast. Wood. The hands are open, palms upwards, the mouth wide open, teeth protruding, eyes deep-set and the spine extending to the top of the skull. She is topped with a dorsal structure evoking a crest, and her sex is veiled in a ritual cloth loincloth. A necklace of shells and ancient fibers encircles the neck. In view of the fine sculptural features (extended spine, detached ear, deeply hollowed mouth, hands open in offering), this statuette can reasonably be linked to a lineage workshop active in the Bouaké - Sakassou - Didievi region, the historic home of Baoulé ritual sculpture.This type of Gbèkrè, with a spine sculpted right up to the top of the skull, is rare and typical of workshops associated with diviners or lineage chiefs in complex ritual contexts (komien, customary justice). The patina shows a stratification typical of sanctuary objects that have undergone regular anointing: black, shiny in places, crusty in ritual areas (hands, belly, mouth).the base and feet are heavily marked by thick drips and crusts, evidence of intensive use on the floor of a sanctuary or altar. The back, particularly around the protruding spine, also shows an accumulation of sacrificial patina. A very fine example. H: 59 cm . 1st half 20th c. Ex renowned Belgian collection Weight: 3000 g Weight: 0 g