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Baule Statue with 4 Monkeys 20″ – Ivory Coast – African Art

$270.00

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This Baule statue features four monkeys – three of the monkeys are either eating or drinking while the other one is lying on his back with a feline on top of him. The statue measures 20 inches tall, 17 inches in diameter, and weighs 26 pounds. This piece would be an amazing addition to any home or collection. There is some chipping around the base and some cracking and general wear and tear throughout – please inspect photos.

Type of Object

Figure, statue

Country of Origin

Ivory Coast

Ethnicity

Baule

Animal

,

Material

Wood, pigment and fabric

Approximate Age

Unknown

Height (Inches)

20”

Width (Inches)

17”

Depth (Inches)

16”

Weight (Pounds)

26 lbs

Overall Condition

Some cracking, scuffing and general wear and tear throughout.

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Tribe Information

About the Baule People

The Baule are originally part of a breakaway group of the Akan people from Ghana. In the 17th century, Queen Abla Pokou led a group on an exodus away from the main Ashanti Confederacy after a war broke out due to disagreements among the factions. Pokou realized that she and her followers may be in harms way, so she took her people and headed westward. Legend says the group came upon the Comoé River, with its dangerous waters and needed a way to safely cross. With the enemy gaining on them, Queen Pokou asked a diviner for advice. The diviner, after much thought, told her the gods required a sacrifice. Everyone began throwing their most prized possessions into the river; gold, ivory, cattle, everything they owned, hoping to appease the gods. The diviner shook his head and said that our sons are our most prized possessions. Pokou, knowing that her duty as queen was more important than that of a mother, decided then to sacrifice her only son, throwing him into the water and calling out “Ba ouli”, translated to “the child is dead”, giving them the name Baule. After the sacrifice was made, hippopotamuses came up from the river and formed a bridge allowing the queen and her people to cross.

The Baule settled in what is now known as Côte d’Ivoire or Ivory Coast. They began defeating current inhabitants of the area and quickly became the middle man post for North and South trading routes. Towns and villages sprouted up with each being independent from one another, making their own decisions with the primacy of a council of elders. Smaller communities were usually governed by a village-chief whereas large villages were ruled by a king or queen. Considered an egalitarian society, everyone is equal and has a say in the overall agenda of the people, including slaves...

Read more about the Baule here.