Baule Mbra Monkey Cote d'Ivoire

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

Damage/Repair: Cracks in base, body, and head; see photos for more details.

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.

AG1022