BAULE MONKEY FIGURAL LID

An exceptional carved representation of a monkey from the Baule people of Ivory Coast, West Africa. The sculpture captures the monkey god Gbekre in the act of consuming corn, mounted atop a domed form that served as a lid for a ceremonial container.

Gbekre or Mbotumbo is a humble deity and a powerful intermediary between humans and the spirit world, often associated with divination cults and protecting the living from enemies and unknown dangers.

The work remains pristine with no damage evident, bearing only the natural surface characteristics consistent with its age.