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African & Tribal Art :
Archive : Attye Wooden Sculpture of a Female Ancestor
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Attye Wooden Sculpture of a Female Ancestor - PF.6318
Origin: Ivory Coast
Circa: 20
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
24" (61.0cm) high
Collection: African
Medium: Wood
Additional Information: SOLD
$9,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
The Attye people are one of the major tribes that
inhabit the Lagoon region of the southeastern
Ivory Coast. Artistically, they are heavily
indebted to their neighbors, the Baule. This
sculpture depicts woman standing erectly with
her bulbous arms held to her side, her hands
turned inwards, touching her hips. Her hair has
been gathered into a series of buns that radiate
around her head. Her diminutive face is typical
of the Attye style including her bulging lenticular
eyes and her inverted T-shaped nose. The raised
scarification that protrude slightly from the sides
of her neck, her stomach, and her back are
characteristic of the artistic output from this
region of the Ivory Coast. This sculpture
probably commemorates a deceased ancestor
who was continually adulated in the form of this
work of art. In a society void of photography,
sculptures were used to memorialize and honor
the dead. In fact, the deceased were believed to
play in active role in the lives of their
descendents from beyond the grave. Thus such
a work is not just a passive record of an
individual but an active tool through with the
favor of the deceased’s spirit can be influenced
for the benevolence of the entire community.
- (PF.6318)
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