Bidjogo Outon ate spoon - Lot 2

Bidjogo Outon ate spoon Bissagos Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau Wood H. 56 cm Provenance: - Former Maine Durieu collection (1941-2015), Paris, France - Former private collection Mr. & Mrs. F., Paris, France - Christie's sale, Paris, April 10, 2019, Art of Africa, Oceania and North America, lot n°87 Ceremonial spoon with a handle in the shape of a female bust carved with great finesse. The ritual use of the object, intended to present offerings to the spirits, allows us to identify the figure as a high priestess. Her belly is adorned with geometric motifs that evoke the scarification marks worn by the Bidjogo people and attest to their religious initiation. The priestess wears a necklace with a large circular pendant, a sign of her high ritual functions. Her face, framed by an elaborate headdress, is imbued with great gentleness.