Vodou Sculpture Damballa and Damballa Flambeau Haitian Vodou Shine

From a poor country, Haitian artist Pierrot Barra, and perhaps his wife, Marie Cassaise, use simple, inexpensive, found materials to create a rich, elegant spiritual object endowed with deep symbolism. In this work, Damballa appears as the primordial serpent, a male snake spirit and creator of all life. When combined with Flambeau, he becomes Damballa-le-Flambeau and assumes a feminine identity. The powerful Snake Goddess, Ayida-Wedo.
Haitian Vodou art is a genuine expression of their society. Because immigration into Haiti is very limited and tourism is confined to beach enclaves, Haitian culture remains somewhat pure.
Outsiders and people of European descent can view Haitian art but can never fully understand it because it reflects a lived experience.
Pierrot Barra (Haitian, 1942-1999) Vodou Shrine (Damballa & Dambala Flambeau), mixed media: sequin, plastic dolls and found objects. Size: 30'' x 20'' x 13'' (76 x 51 x 33 cm). Provenance: Collection Mark Seidenfeld, New York.

Select Museum Collection: Fowler at UCLA (1994 Accessions, Manus Fund; 2009 Accessions, Doran Ross; 2011 Accessions, Marilyn Houlberg).