A Superb Baule Male Ancestor Figure, Ivory Coast

rising from a circular ridged base the male figure standing with bent legs, arms resting on the abdomen, the bearded face with delicate features, full lips, short triangular nose, bisecting the bulging eyes and a crested coiffure; exceptionally fine varied brown patina with residue, partially shiny. 

Reportedly from a "French Collection from 1920's - 30's"
David Ackley, Baltimore
Saul and Marsha Stanoff, Tarzana
Patrick Morgan, Brussels

Washington, D.C., National Museum of African Art - Smithsonian Institution, Treasures, November 17, 2004 - August 15, 2005

David A. Ackley Primitive Art (advertisement), Tribal Arts, March 1998, Volume IV: 4, p. 45
Sharon F. Patton, Treasures, Washington D.C., 2004, cat. 4
Sharon F. Patton, "Treasures: Aesthetic Discoveries and Visual Delights, Tribal Arts, 37, Spring 2005, p. 71

very good condition overall for an object of this rare type and age; age crack through base, front of torso, reverse of left arm and left side of head; feet broken through ankles and reattached - cat scan prove that base and figure originate from the same block of wood; beard broken as seen on photographs - two pierced holes indicate that this break occurred a long time ago and that figure was repaired still in the field (however, tip of beard is missing today); exceptionally fine varied brown patina with residue, partially shiny.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This superb figure belongs to an ensemble of Baule sculptures (figures and masks) that can be attributed to a group of artists active in the central Baule area from the middle to the late nineteenth century. While Vogel (1999: 51) refers to them as the "Nzipri Circle" of artists, de Grunne (2001: 67) suggests the name "Masters of Sakassou."

Figures in this style are "characterized by a long, supple line, the body having a soft, rounded belly, the face concave and heart-shaped with large round eyes [...]. The idiosyncratic treatment of the lower leg is an easily recognized trait: the ankle is usually behind the center of gravity, well behind the knee, and the ankles are small, pulled close together, giving the figure tension and a sort of lift off the high, tight, deeply ribbed base" (Vogel 1999: 51).

The treatment of the eyes, nose, ears and coiffure, the form and position of the hands, as well as the design of the base of the figure from the Bohlen Collection are so distinct that it can be attributed to the same artist who created the female figure formerly in the collection of Michel Gaud, Saint Tropez (Sotheby's London, November 29, 1993, lot 33; also published in: Arts d'Afrique Noire, No. 69, Printemps 1989, cover; de Grunne 2001: 75, cat. 16). It is possible that both works were carved as a pair.