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West Africa, Burkina Faso, Lobi peoples, ca. early 20th century CE. A finely carved wooden female Bateba figure created to guard against sorcery, evil, and illness – her visage delineated with bold features including coffee bean shaped eyes, a pronounced nose, slightly parted lips, cup-shaped ears, and a crested head/coiffure; her nude body delineated with highly placed breasts, a protruding navel, genitalia, and long limbs. Given this sculpture’s protective role, it was most likely placed on or around an altar as part of a group of various ‘bateba’ figures (literal translation of bateba is wooden carved figure). The precise meaning of each figure’s shape and posture is difficult to ascertain, since these carvings were created as the result of a seer’s vision for an afflicted individual who was suffering a particular malady. Size: 15.875″ H (40.3 cm); 16.75″ H (42.5 cm) on included custom stand.
Condition: Small old loss to back of one foot and minor nicks to crest of head. Perforations to one side of the neck and underside of cheek directly above it. Wonderful lustrous patina from age and touch.
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California USA Collection
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