Baule Mbra Monkey 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. Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use. We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings. Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.

Damage/Repair: Scrapes, cracks in base, body, and head, old bug damage in head; see photos for 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.

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