Maternity Figure 

- a standing young female holding a child in her hands - 

made by the Baule / Baoule Peoples of the Guinea Coast / Ivory Coast, West Africa,

possibly in a workshop in the Agba area, during the 1920 - 1950's,

made of wood, with cloth and beads.

She is carved with a beautiful and elaborate hairstyle. 

Scarifications adorn her face, neck and back. 

Her back is with detailed shoulder blades and spine. 

The most characteristic for an early, 1920-1950’s piece, also present on this statue, is a peculiar separation between shoulder and, high up, the biceps. 

Her bottom is beautiful round, her knees accentuated with a small higher relief, the back of her lower legs have a swelling shape. 

The hands support a child in a horizontal position. 

Her fingers have carved nails.

She is wearing several bead strings and a real loincloth. 

Hardwood with a dark patina with a glossy black nuance.

Signs of age and handling: scratches, dents, etc.

Height: circa 51,5 cm / 20.2 inch

Base messures: circa 10,5 x 11,5 cm / 4.1 x 4.2 inch

Weight: circa 1202 gr.

for documentation about the way of carving at the workshop in the Agba area in the 1920-1950's, see: For Spirits And Kings, African Art from the Tishman Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, text by Susan Vogel, page 74 and 75

please note: we are no experts on the subject of tribal art, we have done some research, trying to attribute this item to a land, country, tribe or people, to the best we could - do judge for yourself the tribal affilation and the correct age - we are selling this item "as is" and we will not accept returns if the buyer finds that we are wrong concerning these matters.