Figure (baàthíl)
Unknown Artist
c. 1900
Medium
Wood and organic materials
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.636}}
Classification
Sculpture
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph M. Coe from various donors
Accession Number
1967.152
About this artwork
This headpost (baàthíl) was likely a temporary sanctuary for khélé, a harmful spirit released after killing a person or dangerous animal. Around 1900, members of the Milkuùr religious association used baàthíla to counteract khélé. While the head resembles that of a teenage girl with pierced upper lip and earlobes, the roughly hewn, pole-like bottom suggests otherwise. Buried in an altar, devotees ritually applied materials that darkened the exposed head. When the owner died, the khélé left the s...