Blolo Bla/Bian Figure
People: Baule
Medium: Wood
The Baule people have a belief that they may have a spouse in the living world, as well as a spirit spouse in the spiritual world. These spirit spouses can affect the lives of their living spouses. Personal troubles such as in marriage, family, children, or money are often attributed to the unhappiness of a person’s spirit spouse.[1] Like other figures that may be commissioned, a Blolo bla/bian figure may be carved out of wood to represent a person’s spirit spouse. This is often a result of a suggestion of a diviner. These spirit spouses hold much power because if sufficient time and care is given to it, personal difficulties may disappear.
Medium: Wood
The Baule people have a belief that they may have a spouse in the living world, as well as a spirit spouse in the spiritual world. These spirit spouses can affect the lives of their living spouses. Personal troubles such as in marriage, family, children, or money are often attributed to the unhappiness of a person’s spirit spouse.[1] Like other figures that may be commissioned, a Blolo bla/bian figure may be carved out of wood to represent a person’s spirit spouse. This is often a result of a suggestion of a diviner. These spirit spouses hold much power because if sufficient time and care is given to it, personal difficulties may disappear.
[1] Monica Visona, Robin Poynor, and Herbert Cole, A History of Art in Africa, (Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008), 214.