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Male figure

Date20th century

Label TextClothes now cover modern Baule carvings of men and women. She wears high-heeled shoes and a watch, he wears a uniform and has a fashionable hairstyle. Following past preferences, their clothes closely fit bodies of erect being and bulging muscles. They are definitely not a couple, but stand for the evolving individuality engendered by city life. Their real life counterparts can be seen on the streets of a city like Abidjan, a city of two million people with a high standard for fashion. Such carvings represent men and women inhabiting another world parallel to this one, where one may have a spirit wife or husband. These spirit spouses can cause misfortune, especially in the domains of marriage and sexual matters. Diviners assist clients with such troubles and recommend that a carving be offered for the spirit spouse to visit. Maintaining good relations with a spirit spouse may require nights alone and offerings of food, perfume, jewelry, and coins.

Object number81.17.238

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Documents International: Reflections in the Mirror: A World of Identity, April 23, 1998 - June 20, 1999Published ReferencesMcClusky, Pamela. African Art: From Crocodiles to Convertibles in the Collection of the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle: Seattle Art Museum, 1987; cat. no. 8, pp. 16-17, reproduced.

Credit LineGift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company

Dimensions12 3/16 x 3 1/8 x 3 1/16 in. (31 x 7.9 x 7.8 cm)

MediumWood, paint