Anthropo-/zoomorphic dancecrest
Click here to view a larger version of the image
Lot: 136
89th Tribal Art AuctionAnthropo-/zoomorphic dancecrest
Liberia, Grebo
| Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| Edith Hafter, Solothurn, Switzerland Christie's, Paris, 12 June 2003, lot 312 Bernard Dulon, Paris, France |
H: 18.7 inch | This object is not available anymore. |
wood, decorating tags, plant fibre, two labels: "H52/Liberia Localité: Yakake Pays; Grebo tumz" and "TA 318", rep.
The Grebo villages in the Liberian hinterland were completely isolated for a long time and largely cut off from the outside world. It was only in the 1970s that Cape Palmas, the most important Grebo town, was reached by land. Neither the "poro", nor the "sande" societies had reached the Grebo, circumcisions were also not practiced. It is known that there were men's "kiu" secret societies and the society for defending against witchcraft "kofi". The "do yen" society was there to protect against the magical powers of water-beings as well as spirits that live at the bottom of the water and are able to harm people.
