Lobi. Female Figure (Bateba Phuwe). 1801–1900. Burkina Faso. Wood and sacrificial material Among the Lobi and their neighbors, protective spirits associated with families and the land reside in shrines that are filled with offerings of bottles, iron staffs, pottery vessels, clay figurines, and wooden statuary. A figure like this may be placed in such a shrine to serve as an assistant to the spirit. Offerings of chicken blood, millet beer, and shea butter are applied to the sculpture to ensure the benevolence of the spirit world.

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Size: 1220px × 3000px
Photo credit: © WBC ART / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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