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African & Tribal Art :
Baga : Baga Wooden Polychrome Sculpture of a Bird
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Baga Wooden Polychrome Sculpture of a Bird - PF.4810
Origin: Coast of Guinea
Circa: 20
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
23.25" (59.1cm) high
x 9" (22.9cm) wide
Collection: African
Medium: Wood and Paint
$9,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
The Baga live around the marshy lagoons of the
coastal region of Guinea. For six months of the
year the land is flooded, which effectively cuts
them off from the rest of the world. The women
of the villages are the ones who plant rice in
these swampy areas, and it is through the female
element of nature that the Baga rituals are
connected. Birds are used as a symbol of this
fertility, particularly in the great Nimba masks
that are made for festivals pertaining to the
fertility of the fields and women.
This handsome bird was part of agricultural
ceremonies for the cultivation of rice. It is very
realistic in style, with its long, curved beak
holding a fish, and the gentle sweep of the
multi-colored wing feathers. Yet, there are
symbolic elements seen in the tattooing on the
sides of the head and forehead, and the
unexpected “house” on the bird's back. The two
adorable babies are beautifully crafted, especially
in the expressive quality of the top bird that is
biting into a snake crawling up the mother's
neck. What we are seeing here is a cycle of life
blossoming with richness and vitality, of healthy
young with plenty of food from land and water,
of both mother and offspring very content in a
self-regenerating environment. At the center is
the village that benefits from the abundance of
nature, and rests securely on the back of
mother-earth in the form of a bird. Apart from
its symbolic meaning, this sculpture is a graceful
work of art that makes us aware of the dignity of
nature and our struggle to appease the forces
that rule us.
- (PF.4810)
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