A fine Fon or Ewe terracotta figure

KRONKRONBALE, MONO RIVER AREA

Details

A fine Fon or Ewe terracotta figure
kronkronbale, Mono river area
Of globular form, the round head with pierced eyes and mouth, circlet headdress, the body with short arms and prominent penis, extensive traces of millet libations, flared open base
42cm. high

Literature

Schädler, K.-F., Earth and Ore. 2500 Years of African Art in Terracotta and Metal, Munich, 1997, p.191, fig.345 (centre)

Exhibited

Burgrieden-Rot, 1997, Earth and Ore. 2500 Years of African Art in Terracotta and Metal

Lot Essay

Kronkronbale may be translated as 'children of earlier times' and thus such vessels relate to rebirth, fertility and death. Placed on ancestral altars they receive oblations of millet gruel. The lower part of the Mono river forms the border of Togo and the Republic of Bénin.

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