A Senufo couple

A Senufo couple of the carver Karnigi Coulibaly, 1890 – 1969, or his workshop, a Fono sculptor, Fonondara, Côte d‘Ivoire.

Each figure standing on a semicircular base, flat feet, well-formed legs, a pointed navel with scarifications, square shoulders, arms bent with bangles above the elbow and hands stretched out to the front, the breasts of the female statue are long and pointed decorated with scarifications, both statues wear an amulet, the mouth is protruding and slightly open, the nose long and broad at the tip, the almond-shaped eyes arched by long brows which are connected in the middle, the coiffure in four long braids and a small one hangs down the neck; dark brown patina, a few small age cracks on both statues, the base of the male statue has a little bit wider crack in the front and on the left leg is an insect damage, otherwise in fine condition.

Height: 35 cm / 34 cm
Weight: 590 g / 660 g

photo: wj Another sculpture of this region, we
collected 2008 in situ.

Bitte an dieser Stelle das Foto aus Himmelheber "Negerkunst und Negerkünstler"
!960, S 65, unterstes Foto ganz rechts. hinzufügen.

Stylistically from the same workshop, one carver is characterized
by a softer style and, as a distinguishing feature, the pigtails
at the back are higher than the front ones. But it can also be that
there are different phases in the development of one and the same
carver. Then the pair of figures shown are likely to be a late work.
It is more likely, however, that there are two different, similarly gifted
carvers.