Bateba

PIECE
Bateba

REGION
Burkina Faso

PEOPLE
Lobi

DATE
Mid-20th century

MATERIALS
Wood

CONDITION
Partially fragmentary

DESCRIPTION
This impressive Lobi sculpture, standing over 80 cm tall, is the work of Bimtiote Dah, one of the few identified and documented Lobi sculptors. Originating from the region of Bouna and active in Sansana (south of Gaoua), Dah passed away in the early 1990s, leaving behind a limited body of work now highly sought after by collectors and institutions.

Despite its losses, the work radiates a singular presence: massive volumes, hieratic frontality, and an intense inner energy. The treatment of the figure reveals a solemnity reminiscent of certain statues of ancient Egypt: strict frontality, the sober elongation of the torso, and a deliberate economy of detail in favor of timeless monumentality. This formal kinship, though coincidental, contributes to the archetypal and universal aura of the piece.

It fully illustrates the function of such sculptures as powerful intercessors in Lobi ritual practices, where they protected families and lineages. The attribution is confirmed by direct witnesses—Binathé Kambou and the artist’s son, still active as a ritual specialist in Sansana—ensuring impeccable provenance and a rare historical anchoring for a Lobi work.

A major testimony of Lobi sculpture, placing Bimtiote Dah within the lineage of the great African masters of the 20th century and conferring upon his art a universal resonance.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sammlung Rainer Greschik, Westafrikanische Skulpturen, Lobi, 2016, p.126, Werkgruppe 01.

PROVENANCE
Bimtiote (or Bimyote) Dah, active near Sansana (20 km south of Gaoua, Burkina Faso).
Identified by Binathé Kambou, confirmed by the artist’s son in Sansana, 2007.

German collection

DIMENSION
83 cm

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