Baule Mbra Female Figure Cote d'Ivoire

Overall Condition: Good. Most of our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners.

Damage/Repair: Some dirt throughout the piece; see photos for more details.

This figure is hand carved wood and covered in what appears to look like splatters of black pigment that drips down the piece.

Monkey, known as Mbra and sometimes referred to as Gbekre by the Baule, are considered as power figures used in many rituals. One ritual is a trance divination, where the spirit of Mbra assists the diviner in his effort to convey messages from the spirits of other world to the living, in order to solve a problem during a consultation. This is the one rare occasion where an Mbra can be seen to everybody.

AG0922