Painted Female Figure

Origin: Baga Tribe, Guinea
Composition: wood, paint, metal (earring)

Some naturalistic standing female figures holding breasts were collected from the Baga during the colonial period. As Frederick Lamp writes, they "were probably used on clan shrines, but their use ended so long ago that the people today have no recollection of it. [Also, these figures] were collected without useful documentation."

This figure's color scheme and coiffure style relate it most closely to Signal (pronounced "Sinyal"), who represents a beautiful young woman. Signal was one of three female figures (typically carved as the crest of a headdress) created by the Baga in the 1930s, in a controversial event involving young Baga tribesmen usurping the power of their elders. The other female figures, Tiyambo and Yonbofissa, represent specific spirits within the Baga culture, but Signal's meaning is more mysterious.

This piece has been painted multiple times. It most likely dates from some point between the 1930s, when Signal was first created, and 1954, when the Baga were forced to abandon their traditional beliefs by the Islamic Guinean government.

The color pictures below depict a Signal mask in performance (1987), and a Signal headdress similarly carved and painted to this piece (1986), and are both © Frederick Lamp (Ref: Lamp, "Art of the Baga").

Please contact us to inquire about this piece at (415) 362-6601 or info@sujaro.com.