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Authentic Art and Ethnographic Objects From Africa / Custom Mounting Services
The Attie (alt. Attye, Akye) live in the coastal south east of Cote d’Ivoire in an area characterized by salt water lagoons. Their art is characterized by a rounding of forms with figures often richly detailed with raised patterns scarifications on the head and torso. Among the most distinctive Atie sculptural works are staffs surmounted by seated or standing figures, either male or female and occasionally one of each. These figures are often depicted balancing prestigious objects, such as stools or gun powder kegs, atop their heads with the aid of one or both hands. In this classic example from 1890-1910, a standing male nude with a sword on his right flank and supports a powder keg, now partially lost. The figure stands atop an extraordinary alternating stack of carved period French padlocks and powder kegs expertly rendered from the single length of timber that forms the whole. It is unclear whether time has warped the carving into a curious arc or whether the original lumber was curved to begin with. Age cracks mark the torso of the figure but are not much in evidence elsewhere. Overall the patina is one of great age and wear with a glossy honey colored surface overlaid with windblown dust, evidence of handling and soot. 37″ tall.
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