{"product_id":"blolo-bla-m-bahiakro-baule-ritual-carving","title":"Blolo Bla, M’bahiakro, Baule ritual carving","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn Baule cosmology, the blolo bla is more than sculpture — it is a bridge to the invisible. This female figure, carved in dark wood and seated in composed dignity on a small stool, embodies the idealized “spirit wife” that exists in the otherworldly realm of blolo, a parallel universe believed to preexist and accompany each person. Kept in the privacy of a bedroom, this figure would have received offerings, care, and adornment, mediating between the living and the spiritual to restore personal balance, fertility, or fortune.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginating from the M’bahiakro region in central Côte d’Ivoire, this example reflects the refined Baule aesthetic: scarified cheeks, arched brows, a composed facial expression, and intricately rendered coiffure. The posture is classical — legs close, knees slightly bent, hands resting on the thighs — conveying both modesty and self-possession. The surface bears the warm sheen of age and ritual handling, with a patina of oil and wear, alongside minor fissures and insect traces near the base, all consistent with traditional domestic veneration.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLikely created in the early to mid-20th century, this piece speaks not only of devotion but of Baule ideals: harmony between worlds, inner beauty made visible, and the poetic architecture of belief.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTechnical Sheet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eObject: Ritual Sculpture\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTitle: Blolo Bla, M’bahiakro\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtist \/ Author: Unknown Baule Artist\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDate: Early to Mid-20th Century\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTechnique \/ Printing Method: Hand-carved\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMedium \/ Materials: Wood with natural patina\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions: 45 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight: 1.9 kg\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: Acceptable — surface cracks and insect wear at base; ritual patina\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvenance: Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke, Berlin (acquired in the Aboisso region, Côte d’Ivoire)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReferences\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSusan Mullin Vogel. Baule: African Art, Western Eyes. Yale University Press, 1997.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMuseo de Arte Herbert F. Johnson, Universidad de Cornell. Figura femenina de pie (blolo bla). Entrada del catálogo del objeto.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDorotheum. Baule, Costa de Marfil: una figura femenina de un ‘espíritu cónyuge’, llamada ‘blolo bla’. Catálogo de la subasta.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMuseo Metropolitano de Arte. Esposa espiritual (Blolo Bla), pueblos Baule. Entrada de colección.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFinarte, Milán. Figura femenina, Baule, región de Bouaké. Catálogo de subasta.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DaRWIN","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51867398209874,"sku":null,"price":250.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/7058\/0818\/files\/NewTemplate_1_5165be76-2842-4669-84a2-3a0eb9ccad41.jpg?v=1768121528","url":"https:\/\/thedarwin.es\/products\/blolo-bla-m-bahiakro-baule-ritual-carving","provider":"DaRWIN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}