West Africa, Ivory Coast, Colonial Period, ca. early to mid-20th century. A pair of nearly life-sized wooden colonial era statues depicting African people dressed in European clothing to portray "Europeanized" people and professions. These statues are known as Colon statues, the French word for colonist. These eye-catching people are painted in hues of white, brown, gray, and black. The man is wearing a suit and tie with a white pith helmet, a striped tie, perhaps a civil servant or official. The woman is portrayed as a nurse in a white uniform and red cross cap, complete with a stethoscope in her ears. These figures are often viewed as examples of how African people were considered uncivilized by European colonists, however, these statues may have also arisen as a new form of folk art in West Africa as caricatures of the European officials or simply depictions of evolving fashion and social classes in traditional formats. This pair exhibit the integral plinth and arms to the side stance that traditional Senufo and Baule cultures tend to favor. An interesting blend of African and European imagery. Both are approximately the same size. Size: 13" W x 62" H (33 cm x 157.5 cm)

Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, New York, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#164907

Losses and chips to both figures, especially to high pointed areas. Old inactive insect holes. Chipping and fading of pigments. Surface abrasions and scratches. Both stand upright with stable bases. Good preservation of facial details.