Description:

**Originally Listed At $400**

West Africa, Burkina Faso, Lobi culture, ca. first half of the 20th century CE. An intriguing example of a hand-carved wooden female figure known as a bateba bambar (also bateba bamgbar, literally "paralyzed bateba") seated with her legs stretched out in front of her nude body. The woman is painted with brown pigment, sits in an upright position, holds both arms to her distended abdomen, and has perky breasts flanking a trapezoidal pectoral medallion. Her enlarged head features narrow eyes, a triangular nose above pouty lips, and cupped ears, all beneath a swollen brow. Bateba bambar figures like this example are believed by Lobi soothsayers to protect children and the elderly from paralysis. Size: 8.25" L x 2.125" W x 8.875" H (21 cm x 5.4 cm x 22.5 cm)

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Bruce Frank collection, New York, USA

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#161298

  • Condition: Nicks to legs, body, and head, with abrasions to brown pigment, and a couple of stable fissures along verso, otherwise intact and very good. Nice remains of pigment and smooth patina in exposed areas.

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March 25, 2021 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000