Female Figure

Description

An artistic melting pot, the Bondoukou region in northeastern Côte d’Ivoire near the border with Ghana is inhabited by several ethnic groups whose cultures and artistic styles often intermingle. This figure’s rounded shapes and delicate surface decoration––which seem to imitate body scarifications––closely resemble the style of Baule carvings. The figure’s meaning and function remain a mystery.

Provenance

Henri Kamer; Katherine C. White [1929-1980], Gates Mills, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?—1972); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1972–)

Female Figure

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late 1800s–early 1900s

Accession Number

1972.343

Medium

Wood, paint, glass beads, and natural fiber

Dimensions

Overall: 54.1 x 7.8 x 7.5 cm (21 5/16 x 3 1/16 x 2 15/16 in.)

Classification

Sculpture

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Katherine C. White