Bete, Cote d’Ivoire

Female ancestor figure.  The 370,000 Bete are divided into ninety-three groups. Lacking centralized power, the Bete were grouped together in relatively major villages, containing several lineages. Each lineage had a totemic animal whose meat was taboo. The most senior member of the lineage exercised a moral and judicial power, notably in terms of awarding land. The Bete, who ascribed more importance to the hunt than to agriculture, grew only what was needed for their subsistence economy. Religion, omnipresent in Bete life, aims to maintain a harmonious relationship between nature and the ancestors who are responsible for the welfare of the tribe. Bete statues are standing figures displaying set-apart legs, an elongated torso, an elongated columnar neck supporting an oblong head with a pointed chin. Representing the ancestors, they have specific functions associated with funerary rites. One leg is damaged and the figure cannot stand without a support.

Material:  wood

Size:  H. 20”, W. 5 ½”, D. 4”

Price:  $ 235 + $27 (S&H)                          [T8B9S464]