Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 7

Unknown
African art tribal maternity figure, Lobi peoples Ghana - Ivory Coast

circa 1950

About the Item

A delightful African maternity figure from the Lobi peoples of the Ivory Coast/Ghana. With a serene yet feisty expression, the mother is carrying the baby on her hip. According to Daniela Bognolo's reference work "Lobi" (Milan 2007) : "The female figure carrying a child is used in magical practices to drive off an evil spirit that is dangerous for a pregnant woman. The fact of ritually ‘’tying’’ the object to the woman makes a link between her pregnancy and the carved image of her future motherhood so that the evil spirit will enter the object instead of her womb." In addition to the function mentioned above, maternity figures are also seen as magically boosting fertility and combatting sterility. Our antique and authentic example has lovely provenance: it was field collected by François Rivière, a French entomologist and tribal art collector whilst working in West Africa.
  • Creation Year:
    circa 1950
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 7.88 in (20 cm)Width: 2.76 in (7 cm)Depth: 2.37 in (6 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Old tension cracks and minor losses as visible on the photos. Unmounted.
  • Gallery Location:
    Norwich, GB
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU99134786081

More From This Seller

View All
Outsider artist singular virgin and child art brut sculpture mother and child
Located in Norwich, GB
An extraordinarily moving piece by an outsider artist who must have spent many a day conceiving, cutting, hammering, soldering and welding this stunning metal group made of tin and iron. The result is something completely individualistic, which at the same time recalls early medieval...
Category

Mid-20th Century Outsider Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Colonial West African Baule Baoule Figure Sculpture Woman wearing loincloth
Located in Norwich, GB
An elegant African sculpture from the West African Baoulé or Baule people, depicting a young woman wearing a loincloth. Smooth black lightly worn patina.
Category

Mid-20th Century Tribal Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Gothic Renaissance wooden sculpture: bust of a young Saint or Angel
Located in Norwich, GB
This young saint or angel has suffered over the centuries, but his spirit has not been broken - and miraculously, his beautiful face has remained intact. With a gentle face and an al...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Gothic Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Leda and the Swan modernist mid century sculpture by French woman artist
Located in Norwich, GB
A unique piece: a hand modelled sculpture by French artist Jeannine Nathan (b.1924). Working in Paris, Jeannine was able to visit Picasso’s studio, and was impressed by the Master’s ...
Category

1960s Modern Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Akan Ashanti Memorial Portrait Head of a Noble Tribal African Art Sculpture
Located in Norwich, GB
This elegant terracotta head is a memorial portrait (nsodie) of an Akan nobleman from the part of Africa which is today southern Ghana and southeastern Cô...
Category

19th Century Tribal Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta, Clay

La Parisienne: Art Nouveau Belle Epoque young lady with a gleam in here eye
Located in Norwich, GB
A lovely hand modelled sculpture in bas relief, depicting the head of a smiling young Parisian lady with a gleam in her eyes. The work dates from from the Belle Epoque, the art nouv...
Category

Early 1900s Art Nouveau Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta, Wood Panel

You May Also Like

Vintage wood face mask, dark brown
Located in San Diego, CA
Vintage wood mask. The edge undulates and is lightweight. Date and artist unknown.
Category

20th Century Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

"Protector One" Folk Art Crow Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
Richly textured with whimsical appeal, this late 20th century wooden crow is a delightful example of naive American sculpture. Poised mid-caw, the crow's wings are outstretched, read...
Category

Late 20th Century Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Paint

Guatemala. Maschera di Baila de la Conquista. Inizio XX secolo
Located in Firenze, IT
Questa maschera guatemalteca del inizio del XX secolo, scolpita in legno e utilizzata per la danza della Riconquista (Baila de la Conquista) , raffigura vividamente un uomo europeo, ...
Category

Early 20th Century Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Intaglio

Pair Tiki Ceramic Figures
Located in San Diego, CA
Pair of Tiki ceramic figures by artist Howard Pierce (1912-1994). Howard Pierce's artistry is cherished among collectors, a following he gained in over 5...
Category

20th Century Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Clay

Vintage Handwoven Tapestry Wool Folk Art Rug Weaving Wall Hanging Olga Fisch
By Olga Fisch
Located in Surfside, FL
Olga Fisch ( American 1901-1990) Hummingbird and Pendant Flower, hand woven and stitched wool and sequins, signed lower right. Dimensions: 58 x 32 in. Olga Fisch was born in Hungary, studied in Germany and lived in Morocco and Ethiopia before receiving asylum as a Jewish refugee in Ecuador in 1939. For her Indian-inspired designs, Mrs. Fisch uses natural black and white sheep...
Category

20th Century Folk Art More Art

Materials

Wool

Vintage Handwoven Tapestry Wool, Metal Folk Art Rug Weaving Wall Hanging
By Olga Fisch
Located in Surfside, FL
Olga Fisch was born in Hungary, studied in Germany and lived in Morocco and Ethiopia before receiving asylum as a Jewish refugee in Ecuador in 1939. For her Indian-inspired designs, Mrs. Fisch uses natural black and white sheep...
Category

1950s Folk Art More Art

Materials

Wool

Recently Viewed

View All