Old colonial figure - Ivory Coast - Baule $1800.00
"Colonial" figures are spirit mates in the form of Europeans. The Baule people believe that an invisible universe exists parallel to ours, in which every person on earth has a mate, ascribed to him or her automatically within that spiritual realm. It is that world of the spirits that controls all life on earth. So when any individual has any kind of problem, be it psychological, physical, social (i.e., a conflict with another person) it can be resolved within the spirit world. The conduit through which humans communicate with that world is the spirt mate of that person. The first time a person has such a problem he or she might visit the tribal healer who will suggest that the suffering person elicit the help of a carver to create a representation of the mate that person has in the spirit world. This gives the person the ability to relate more personally and directly to that spirit mate. When the women, in the cases of these 3 figures, described their other-world mates to the carver to embody them, they revealed their ideal mates as manifesting these European characteristics. This figure is from Boganda, 14 1/2" tall, circa 1950. Note the small gold bead around the neck of this figure. Such gold pieces are often used to adorn objects of spiritual value in order to increase their usefulness, their power. Please click on this photo to see other views of this extraordinary and genuine object. Please see below for a closeup view of the face of this very beautiful figure.

Colonial figure and 2 Baule figures - Ivory Coast - Tagbana $1250.00
The Tagbana people live just north of the Baule and share many of their customs although the style of their art is identifiably different. This figure is Tagbana and is 13" tall, circa 1960. Please click on the image to see two more Baule figures, the first of those is from Mbahiakoro, 14 1/2" tall, circa 1965, $750. The second Baule figure is a soldier, 11 3/4" tall, $500.

Wedding spoons - Ivory Coast - Baule $1800.00
The male spoon, mounted is 10 1/2" tall, circa 1965, from Ndolikoro. Couples getting married drink from these spoons not only to profess their loyalty to one another but to prove their faithfulness. If one or the other is not truthful in his or her love, drinking from these spoons will reveal that. The price is for the pair.

Baule spirit wife - Ivory Coast - Baule $500.00
This is a beautiful, old, mounted piece.

3 more old colonial figures - Ivory Coast - Baule $1250.00
This figure is 15" tall and dates to about 1915 from the village of Sakasso. Please click on the image to see 2 more. The second one is from Dembokoro, 11 1/2" tall, circa 1900. The price is $900. The third figure is from Kakaba, 12 1/2", circa 1930, $1,250.

Tall woman statue - Ivory Coast - unknown tribe $2500.00
43" tall. Click on the photo to see more views of this beautiful woman figure.

Old forest spirit couple - Ivory Coast - Baule $4000.00
Circa 1890, 11" and 12" tall, from the village of Beoumi. Click on the photo for more views.

Old fetish - Ivory Coast - Baule $5950.00
My supplier in Ivory Coast told me this figure is from the village of Guirilan and dates to circa 1900. The distinguished professor of Art History and renowned African art expert, Roy Sieber, personally authenticated this statue for me just 5 months before he passed away. However, Roy doubts it is as old as my supplier told me it is. It is 18" tall. Click photo for a closeup.

Ancestor figures - Sets # 1 - 3 - Ghana - Ewe $75.00
These figures are kept by a family in memory of specific members of their family who are deceased. Where limbs are missing or the body is imperfect the person represented would have actually lost that body part or would have been otherwise disfigured. Very often those figures belonging to a single family will share characteristics which imply a family relationship as in this set. The figures in these 3 sets measure from 7 to 7 1/2" tall. Please click on the image to view sets #2 and #3 of these authentic old figures. All of the figures are the same price, $75 each. Please look further down on this same page to see more sets of these fascinating and widely variable figures.

Divination oracle - Nigeria - Orobo $750.00

Ancestor figures - Sets # 7 - 9 - Ghana - Ewe $75.00
The figures in this group are all approximately 8 to 9" tall. Please click on the image to see Sets 8 and 9. The figures in Set 8 all measure between 8 and 9" tall. The figures in Set 9 all measure between 8 3/4 and 10 1/2" tall. The price of all is the same, $75 each. Please see above for more explanatory information and the first 3 sets of these figures. Please see below for all of the rest of the Ewe figures we have.

3 Shangos - Nigeria - Yoruba $250.00
Click on the photo to see all 3 shangos. The first one is 11". The second is 17" ($350.) The third is 15" ($300.)

old wood scooter - Ivory Coast - unknown tribe $250.00
9 1/2" long

Old drummer figure - Ivory Coast - Baule $450.00
From the village of Ganada, circa 1985, 7" tall

Old fetish figure - Ivory Coast - Tagbana $2500.00
From Koutiala, 13 1/2" tall, circa 1900. Click photo for a second view and for a second Tagbana figure, 13" ($1,250.)

Male figure - Ivory Coast - Baule $450.00
18"

Power symbol - Nigeria - Ibibio $300.00
14 1/2" tall. Click the photo for another view.

Small male figure - Ivory Coast - Baule $1250.00
10" tall, circa 1910, from the village of Ndodelikoro. Please click photo for a closeup

Small male figure - Ivory Coast - Baule $1750.00
13" tall, from Lepe, circa 1910. Click on photo for closeup.

Seated woman - Ghana - Ashanti $695.00
33 1/4" tall. This is an unusually nice figure featuring her carved and painted kente cloth dress.

Ancestor figures - Sets # 4 - 6 - Ghana - Ewe $75.00
The figures in this group are all approximately 7 to 7 1/2" tall. Please click on the image to see Sets 5 and 6. The figures in Sets 5 and 6 all measure between 8 and 9" tall. The price of all is the same, $75 each. Please see above for more explanatory information and the first 6 sets of these figures. Please see below for all of the rest of the Ewe figures we have.

Large young woman head - Togo - Ewe $995.00
This is an extraordinary, one of a kind, carving of a beautiful young Ewe woman. I came across this in a little shop in a back alley of Lome, Togo on one of my recent trips there. As is often the case, most of the objects in that little dark recessed nook were of limited interest. What keeps me going back to all those otherwise unappealing corners of town is the chance of stumbling across another gem like this excellent art object. The merchant who sold it to me could not tell me anything about its origin but if it is not a ritual piece it is at least a work of art whose carver was a master of his craft. This piece is 21" tall. Please click on the image for a better view of this gorgeous face.

Fetish figure - Togo - Ewe $500.00
This figure measures 11 1/4" tall. This figure was probably carved as a fetish. Please click on the image for a view of the side of this very unusual figure.

Second old colonial figure - Ivory Coast - Baule $1800.00
This figure is from the village of Boganda, 10 1/2" tall, circa 1950. Please see the explanation included in the item entitled "old colonial figure", above. Please click on the image to see 2 more views of this great old object. Please see a closeup of the face of this figure at the bottom of this page by clicking on the image entitled "Closeups of the faces of 3 Baule colonial figures".

Closeups of the faces of 3 Baule colonial figures - Ivory Coast - Baule $1800.00
These are closeups of 3 of the Baule colonial figures found above, on this page.

Protective figure - Nigeria - Tchamba $450.00
17" tall. This old genuine weathered figure served a protective function outside a Tchamba home. Please click on the image for 2 more views of this exceptional object.

Short protective figure - Togo - Moba $300.00
15 1/2" tall. Please click on the image to see the other side of this genuine figure.

Small protective figure - Togo - Moba $95.00
8 1/2"

Finest old protective figure - Togo - Moba $600.00
26" tall. Please click on the image for views of 2 more sides of this exceptional, genuine figure.

Protection post - Togo - Moba $300.00
33" tall. Please click on the image for a closeup view of the top of this unusual post.

Tall protection post - Togo - Moba $450.00
44" tall. Please click on the image for a view of the other side of this fine object.

Tallest protection figure - Togo - Moba $600.00
46" tall. Please click on the image for 2 more views of this fine old, genuine figure.

Ancestor figures - Sets # 10, 13, 14 - Ghana - Ewe $75.00
The figures in this group are all approximately 8 3/4 to 10 1/2" tall. Please click on the image to see Sets 13 and 14. The figures in Sets 13 and 14 all measure between 7 1/2 and 8 1/2" tall. The price of all is the same, $75 each. Please see above for more explanatory information and the first 9 sets of these figures. Please see below for all of the rest of the Ewe figures we have.

Ancestor figures - Sets # 15 - 17 - Ghana - Ewe $75.00
The figures in this group are all approximately 7 1/2 to 8 1/2" tall. Please click on the image to see Sets 16 and 17. The figures in Sets 16 and 17 also all measure between 7 1/2 and 8 1/2" tall. The price of all is the same, $75 each. Please see above for more explanatory information and the first 12 sets of these figures. Please see below for all of the rest of the Ewe figures we have.

Ancestor figures - Sets # 18 - 20 - Ghana - Ewe $75.00
The figures in this group all measure approximately 4 7/8 to 6" tall. Please click on the image to see Sets 19 and 20. The figures in Set 19 are all the same size as these, 4 7/8 to 6" tall. Those in Set 20 all measure between 6 1/2 and 7 1/2" tall. The price of all is the same, $75 each. Please see above for more explanatory information and the first 15 sets of these figures. Please see below for all of the rest of the Ewe figures we have.

Ancestor figures - Sets # 21 - 23 - Ghana - Ewe $75.00
The figures in this group all measure approximately 6 1/2 to 7 1/2" tall. Please click on the image to see Sets 22 and 23. The figures in Set 22 are all the same size as these, 6 1/2 to 7 1/2" tall. Those in Set 23 all measure between 6 3/4 and 7 1/2" tall. The price of all is the same, $75 each. Please see above for more explanatory information and the first 18 sets of these figures. Please see below for the last set of the Ewe figures we have.

Ancestor figures - Sets # 24 - 26 - Ghana - Ewe $75.00
The figures in this group all measure approximately 6 3/4 to 7 1/2" tall. Please click on the image to see sets 25 and 26. Both of those sets feature figures which measure 6 to 6 3/4" tall. The price of all is the same, $75 each. Please see above for more explanatory information about these beautiful figures.

Single Ancestor Figures - Ghana - Ewe $125.00
This figure is 9 3/4" tall. Please click on the image to see the tallest of the Ewe ancestor figures we have, 12" tall. Its price is $95.

Ancestor figures - Set # 27 - Ghana - Ewe $75.00
The figures in this group all measure approximately 6 3/4 to 7 1/2" tall. The price of all is the same, $75 each. Please see above for more explanatory information about these beautiful figures.