Thil
Burkina Faso
Reference: EFM-11
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- Height
- 31 cm
- Material
- Wood and remains of pigmentation
A Thil is an invisible spirit sent by the Creator God of the Universe to help men. The first Thil is the Wathil, the founding female…
Enquire about this objectFull original description
A Thil is an invisible spirit sent by the Creator God of the Universe to help men. The first Thil is the Wathil, the founding female ancestor of the matricclan. A stature after carving, usually by the owner, disobedient from the ritual of sacralization becomes the receptacle of the spirit and is kept and decorated on the family altar.
This Bateba figure. with a fissure that runs its body from top to bottom due to its antiquity, has arms attached to the body and legs slightly separated, responds to all the criteria of the lobi sculpture, which are not aesthetics or beauty but strength, of magical load.
Further technical information
- Attributed period
- Mid-century XX or earlier.
Details transcribed from the original catalogue; they are not a recent physical inspection.
Country on the map
Burkina Faso. The country associated with the catalog is shown, not the current location of the piece.
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Attributions, dates and accounts come from the preserved catalogue. They do not constitute certification of authenticity or provenance. An object’s presence on this website does not mean it is available for sale.
