ClassificationsAfrican Art

Figure, Bateba

Possible OriginCôte d'Ivoire, Africa

Possible OriginBurkina Faso, Africa

CultureLobi

Date20th Century

MediumWood, organic material

Credit LineEx coll. William S. Arnett

Dimensions30 1/2 in. (77.5 cm)

Object number1994.004.001

Label TextLobi individuals consult diviners, called bour, concerning social or physical problems at hand. Bour in turn consult thila, invisible beings that the Lobi creator, Thangba Yu (meaning, "sky above"), assigned to protect humans from hunger, sickness, and death caused by their own transgressions of the behavioral laws set out by Thangba Yu at the beginning of time.

Once a diagnosis has been made, the client must follow prohibitions, perform sacrifices, and possibly erect a shrine to house figurative sculptures (bateba) like this one. The sculptor carves the figures according to instructions provided by thila through the diviner. This figures' frontal pose, concentrated gaze, and erect stature embody an attitude of vigilance and awareness appropriate for its protective role.
Exhibition HistoryDivine Intervention: African Art and Religion, Michael C. Carlos Museum, February 5 - December 4, 2011

ProvenanceEx coll. William S. Arnett (1939-2020), Atlanta, Georgia.

Status

Not on view

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