African Art, Primitive Art - Lobi Anthropomorphic Statue - Fetish, Curiosity - Primitive

Burkina Faso or border region, first half of the 20th century

Ancient private family collection (Aubenas, Ardèche). This sculpture was brought back from West Africa by an ancestor of the family, then kept by descent until today.

Ancient anthropomorphic wooden sculpture from the Lobi cultural area of West Africa.

The figure is depicted standing in a hieratic attitude, arms folded and joined over the abdomen. It features a long cylindrical neck supporting a head of powerful volumes, characterized by prominent superciliary arches, closed or half-closed eyes, a rectilinear nose and a broadly drawn mouth. This economy of means, combined with a strong plastic presence, lends the ensemble a meditative, timeless expression.

The body, treated in the form of a slightly flared sheath, is enlivened by engraved geometric decoration composed of triangular motifs. These decorative elements, deliberately restrained, contribute to the overall balance of the sculpture and testify to an aesthetic research based on the simplification of forms.

In the societies of the Lobi area, ritual sculptures occupied an essential place within the domestic and spiritual sphere. Placed in family sanctuaries or near dwellings, they served as intermediaries between the visible world and invisible forces, while participating in the protection of the group and the balance of the community.

The sculpture shows an old dark brown to black-brown patina of use, accompanied by consistent wear, small accidents and shrinkage cracks related to the natural aging of the wood. The base retains an old piercing, probably linked to its mode of use or attachment.

By the quality of its presence, the balance of its volumes and the sobriety of its execution, this work is an interesting testimony to the sculptural traditions of West Africa during the first half of the twentieth century.

Dimensions:

Height: 22 cm

Condition:

Uses of use, small accidents, old shrinkage cracks and traces of time. State of preservation consistent with the age and nature of the object.