African Senufo Divination Statue from Cote d'Ivoire

A carved wood female Madeö divination figure by Senufo artist, Ivory Coast circa first half of 20th century. The figure has an unusual tall cylinder shape top hat in the place of the more traditional sagittal crest coiffures, yet it retains the typical stylistic character of frontal, occipital and back hair coiffures, which are commonly found in Senufo statue. Stading straight in a firm and robust physique, her arms were placed along the torso with hands resting on the hips. Her breasts and buttocks are in rounded form. an indicator of a possible origin of Bougouni region. Her belly exhibits sacrificial incision around the belly button. Her heart-shaped face with delicately carved semi-cycle eyes under the arched eyebrows. Additional sacrificial incisions are also carved on the corners of her mouth. The wood surface was once painted white possibly with kaolin ocher pigment and it still retains a cracked patina on now rather weathered wood surface.
The sculpture is fixed and presented on a wood block base as shown. The statue is 24.75" without the base.
Reputably from the estate of Ralph Ellison (1913-1994), NYC.
Ref: For a similar samller figure, see lot 64, Sotheby’s Paris, June 8th, 2007. PF7006.