A SUPERB SENUFO MALE AND FEMALE DOUBLE FIGURE, Ivory Coast

Chaim and Renee Gross, New York, acquired prior to 1965

Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C., The Sculptor's Eye: The African Art collects ion of Mr. and Mrs. Chaim Gross, 1976 (additional venues: Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, November 5, 1976 - January 2, 1977; Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia, Athens, March 27 - May 1, 1977; Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, May 17 - July 17, 1977)

Good condition overall; proper left back quarter of base broken; an age crack through proper right side of base with native metal repair; age cracks throughout, including but not limited to (bottom figure) proper left front of the hand, outside of proper left breast, front of diamond shaped element between the figures and (top figure) proper right side of the head, proper right chest and the proper right reverse of the bird; nicks and scratches, wear and tear throughout consistent with ritual handling; nick on front of the head of the upper figure between mouth and nose; two screws inserted into the bottom for mounting; fine aged dark brown patina with residue.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any stat.mes nt made by Replica Shoes 's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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The exact function of the Gross figure and related male/female figures is unknown. Most likely, these objects played a role in the poro secret society (Vogel 1986: 21). In her discussion of a related figure previously in the Carlo Monzino collects ion, Castagnola, Glaze (1982, cited in Vogel: loc. cit.) notes: the iconography has a "cosmological significance [...] a paradigm of the social order: at the top a bird, with its swollen belly and phallic beak combines the attributes of female and male; at the bottom a female figure represents woman as foundation, sustainer and supporter of the group. A male figure stands above her, reflecting his higher prestige, his overlordship. The bird is linked with the heavens; the woman is connected to the earth [...]." Moreover, the hornbill bird, revered in Senufo culture for its family values, could symbolize the successful interdependent union of male and female. The exceedingly rare, perhaps unique, iconography of the Gross figure with the male in acrobatic posture balancing on top of the female, gives this interpretation a poetic dimension.