Baule doors share the careful execution characteristic of other Baule sculpture. Unlike most of the Baule masks and figures, however, the doors were not secret and were always on view. The elegant low reliefs depict figures, heads, crocodiles, birds, objects and abstract patterns with precision and balanced asymmetry, permanent displays of Baule artistic skill. Often used as doors to inner rooms, they do not show the wear of exposure to the elements.
This door has the motifs of a couple with a diviner's gong and mallet, joined by a cord. The figure(s) are bush spirits, there are dishes to feed them, plus a leopard and sheathed knives, symbols of might and royalty. This door is flat and could be wired to hang on a wall, mounted on another door or mounted as a freestanding sculpture.
This door shows no evidernce of age or use and was probably made for sale.
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