African Arts Gallery

Spoon Baule (N° 14092)

The usual objects have always been the mediums of choice for the artistic expression of African sculptors, especially in Côte d'Ivoire. The rice spoons of the Baoulé, and the neighbouring Dan, were not only intended to be offered to the most hospitable woman in the community, as a trophy. They were used at community meals closing traditional festivals and ritual ceremonies but were also used in fertility rituals: rice was then thrown on the crowd to ensure protection and fertility.

The handle of this ceremonial spoon or shovel is made up of a miniature of the Goli face mask named Kplé kplé yasua, worn by teenagers. These masks exist in black and red, male and female, and dance in turn, but this attribution varies from village to village. The ornamentation of this prestigious object therefore indicates that it is also, for the Baoulé, the receptacle of a spirit.
Satin and eroded brown patina, residual kaolin inlays.