Baule Maternity Figure

Baule people, early to mid-20th century, Côte d’Ivoire

Magnificent and finely carved wooden maternity figure representing a serene, youthful woman seated gracefully upon an Akan-style stool, tenderly holding her child in a nursing position. The figure displays the refined elegance characteristic of Baule sculpture — a long neck, balanced proportions, and harmonious symmetry throughout. The facial features are delicately rendered, with arched brows, a slender nose, a small mouth, and almond-shaped eyes cast in a tranquil downward gaze.

Her elaborate, high crested coiffure and intricate scarifications across the face, neck, torso, and abdomen reflect ideals of beauty and cultural identity. The smooth, light brown patina enhances the sculptural softness and warmth of the wood.

Maternity figures such as this were created in honor of fertility and motherhood, often commissioned by husbands and kept within the home as protective and venerated objects. They embody the Baule ideal of feminine grace, fecundity, and spiritual balance.

The Baule people (also Baoulé), one of the largest ethnic groups of Côte d’Ivoire, trace their origins to a migration from present-day Ghana under Queen Aura Pokou in the 17th century. According to legend, the Queen sacrificed her only son to the river to save her people during their flight — a tragic act from which the name Baule (“the child is dead”) derives.

Good condition. Age-related wear and signs of handling over many years. Fractures and chip. Repaired. Size approx. 28,0cm x 6,1cm x 6,6cm.

Provenance: Finnish private collection.

For a similar examples see:

Maternity figure, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Accession number: B91.0187  (https://www.imj.org.il/en/collections/312101-0)

Female figure with child, Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia, Accession number: 572 (https://www.sainsburycentre.ac.uk/art-and-objects/572-female-figure-with-child/)

References and further reading:

Baule: African Art, Western Eyes, Susan Mullin Vogel, Publisher Yale University Press, 1997, pp. 260, 261, 262, 291.

Baule Statuary Art: Meaning and Modernization, P. L. Ravenhill, Institute for the Study of Human Issues, Working Paper 5, Philadelphia, 1980

The Tribal Arts of Africa, Jean-Baptiste Bacquart, Publisher Thames & Hudson, 2002, p. 48, ill. 5