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SAM'S collection
Seated male figure
Seated male figure

Seated male figure

Maker Baule
Label TextAll Baule human-figure sculptures are made for private shrines that belong to and serve single individuals. Spirit spouse figures such as this help their human partners broadly in their lives, and can spread their good will to the children or spouse of their partner. More rarely, a spirit spouse will help a clairvoyant or diviner to foretell the future for clients, or will produce some other specialized talent or activity, such as singing or dancing skills.
Object number81.17.232
Provenance[J. J. Klejman Gallery, New York]; purchased from gallery by Katherine White (1929-1980), Seattle, Washington, 1964; bequeathed to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 1981
Exhibition HistoryCleveland, Ohio, Cleveland Museum of Art, African Tribal Images: The Katherine White Reswick Collection, July 10 - Sept. 1, 1968 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Museum, Oct. 10 - Dec. 1, 1968). Text by William Fagg. Cat. no. 82. Los Angeles, California, Frederick S. Wight Art Gallery, University of California, African Art in Motion: Icon and Act, Jan. 20 - Mar. 17, 1974 (Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art, May 5 - Sept. 22, 1974). Text by Robert Farris Thompson. No cat. no., pp. 68-69, reproduced pl. 91 (as seated male figure with drum).
Credit LineGift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company
Dimensions26 1/4 x 5 15/16 x 7 11/16 in. (66.7 x 15.1 x 19.5 cm)
MediumWood
Photo: Paul Macapia
Ivorian
Object number: 81.17.233
Photo: Paul Macapia
Ivorian
20th century
Object number: 81.17.225.1
Ivorian
20th century
Object number: 81.17.238
Photo: Paul Macapia
Ivorian
20th century
Object number: 81.17.225.2
Ivorian
20th century
Object number: 81.17.237
Mother and Child
Ivorian
Object number: 81.17.234
Mask (Goli Gulin)
Ivorian
20th century
Object number: 81.17.228
Photo: Paul Macapia
Ivorian
late 19th-early 20th century
Object number: 81.17.235
Elephant mask for Dye ensemble
Ivorian
Object number: 81.17.252
Gu mask
Ivorian
Object number: 81.17.253
Zamble mask
Ivorian
Object number: 81.17.254
Face mask (Kpelie-yehe)
Ivorian
Object number: 81.17.259