Details
ITEM NAME:
Lobi Bateba Phuwe Figure
ITEM #:
2190
ETHNICITY:
Lobi
ORIGIN:
Burkina Faso
MEDIUM:
Wood.
DIMENSIONS:
16.5″ (41.9 cm) Tall.
CONDITION:
Good.
PROVENANCE:
Private Collection – Florida, USA.
CATALOGUE NOTE:
The Lobi Bateba Phuwe figures are unique in their posture with arms straight down, a straight ahead gaze, and a grim expression. These figures serve various purposes and have a wide range of styles. Carving these figures is open to anyone in Lobi communities, without the need for specialized training. Believed to be living beings, Lobi bateba figures can protect their owners from harm or bring them good fortune, depending on their intended purpose.
The Lobi people reside in a vast area spanning Burkina Fasso, the Ivory Coast, and Ghana. Their villages are spread out, consisting of multiple compounds.
Unlike traditional kinship or political structures, the Lobi community is united by their devotion to the nature spirit called “thil” and the rules set forth by this spirit. Diviners convey the will of the thila, invisible spirits with supernatural abilities, who can influence events for either benevolent or malevolent purposes. Each village is overseen by a specific spirit (dithil).
Social behavior in the Lobi community is regulated by these thila spirits, with priests and diviners serving as intermediaries. The bateba sculptures, made from wood or clay, connect a specific thil with the Lobi community.
