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Female Figure
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
An artistic melting pot, the Bondoukou region in northeastern Côte d’Ivoire near the border with Ghana is inhabited by several ethnic groups whose cultures and artistic styles often intermingle. This figure’s rounded shapes and delicate surface decoration––which seem to imitate body scarifications––closely resemble the style of Baule carvings. The figure’s meaning and function remain a mystery.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineFemale Figure, late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, possibly Bondoukou region, unknown maker. Wood, paint, glass beads, and natural fiber; overall: 54.1 x 7.8 x 7.5 cm (21 5/16 x 3 1/16 x 2 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Katherine C. White, 1972.343
