Within Ivory Coast Folklore
How Baule Diviners Speak With Bush Spirits
Baule divination turns sculpture into a meeting point between village order and powerful spirits associated with the bush.
On this page
- Asye usu and the diviner's calling
- Why carved figures attract spirits
- The bush, the village and spiritual knowledge
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Introduction
Among the many spirit traditions of central Ivory Coast, few are as well documented as the relationship between Baule diviners and the beings known as bush spirits. In Baule belief, divination is not simply fortune-telling. It is a formal way of obtaining knowledge from powerful spiritual forces associated with the wilderness beyond the village. These spirits are often called asye usu in scholarly literature and museum collections. They are understood as unpredictable beings connected with the bush rather than with human ancestors or village society. Diviners act as intermediaries, drawing these spirits into ritual settings and interpreting the messages they provide about illness, misfortune, family conflict, infertility, poor harvests and other problems.[Smarthistory]smarthistory.orgThe spirits are seduced from the wilderness by the…Read more…
What makes the Baule tradition especially distinctive is the role of sculpture. The carved figures found in museums around the world were not originally created as decorative art. In many cases they were ritual tools designed to attract and host bush spirits, creating a meeting point between the ordered world of the village and the untamed realm beyond it.[smarthistory.org]smarthistory.orgThe spirits are seduced from the wilderness by the…Read more…
Asye usu and the diviner’s calling
In Baule tradition, not everyone can become a diviner. Ethnographic accounts describe diviners as people chosen or pursued by spirits. Their role is to serve as a channel through which supernatural knowledge can reach the community. The diviner, often known in academic literature as a komien, enters altered states during consultations and communicates messages believed to come from the spirit world.[The Metropolitan Museum of Art]metmuseum.orgThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtMale figure for a komien (trance diviner) - Baule peoplesThe sculptures are often described as the asye usu…
The spirits involved are not usually portrayed as kindly village guardians. Instead, they are associated with the bush: a space beyond cultivated land and social control. Sources repeatedly describe the asye usu as volatile, powerful and fundamentally different from humans. They belong to a realm of wilderness that exists alongside everyday society but is never fully under human authority.[smarthistory.org]smarthistory.orgThe spirits are seduced from the wilderness by the…Read more…
People sought out diviners when ordinary explanations failed. A run of bad luck, repeated illness, family disputes, infertility or unexplained economic problems could all become subjects for consultation. The diviner’s task was not merely to predict the future but to identify hidden causes and recommend actions that would restore balance between people and spiritual forces.[smarthistory.org]smarthistory.orgThe spirits are seduced from the wilderness by the…Read more…
Why carved figures attract spirits
One of the most striking features of Baule divination is the use of carved human figures. To an outside observer, it may seem odd that spirits linked to the wilderness would be represented by sculptures showing idealised, elegant men and women. Yet this apparent contradiction lies at the heart of the system.
According to museum research and art-historical studies, diviners commissioned sculptures that embodied Baule ideals of beauty: balanced proportions, elaborate hairstyles, smooth surfaces and physical perfection. These figures were deliberately attractive because the bush spirits themselves were thought to admire qualities they lacked. The sculptures acted as a lure, drawing spirits out of the wilderness and into a controlled ritual environment.[smarthistory.org]smarthistory.orgThe spirits are seduced from the wilderness by the…Read more…
Several sources describe the figures as a kind of spiritual resting place. Rather than literally being the spirit, the sculpture served as a seat, stool or temporary dwelling that allowed communication between spirit and diviner. Once attracted, the spirit could provide insight through the diviner’s trance and ritual performance.[The Metropolitan Museum of Art]metmuseum.orgThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtMale figure for a komien (trance diviner) - Baule peoplesThe sculptures are often described as the asye usu…
This explains a common misunderstanding about Baule art. The beauty of these carvings was not separate from their ritual purpose. Their aesthetic qualities were themselves part of the technology of divination. A more impressive sculpture was believed to be more effective at attracting spirits and could also enhance the reputation of the diviner who owned it.[Smarthistory]smarthistory.orgThe spirits are seduced from the wilderness by the…Read more…
Diviners’ figures and spirit-spouse figures
Visitors to museums often encounter two types of Baule sculpture that look remarkably similar. One category consists of spirit-spouse figures, linked to beliefs that every person has a supernatural partner in the other world. Another category consists of figures used by diviners to attract bush spirits.[randafricanart.com]randafricanart.comBaule Blolo bian figureThis male figure most likely represents a sculpture made for a spirit husband, Blolo bian. According to Vogel, 'th…
Because both are carved according to the same standards of beauty, they are sometimes confused. Scholars and collectors generally distinguish them through context and ritual use. Divination figures are associated with consultations, shrines and sacrificial offerings, while spirit-spouse figures relate to personal relationships with otherworldly companions encountered in dreams.[art-africain-traditionnel.com]art-africain-traditionnel.comAsie Usu figureBaule - Ivory Coast - primitive african artTwo primary forms of figure carvings are used by the Baule; asie usu (also called asye usu; li…
The bush, the village and spiritual knowledge
The deeper meaning of Baule divination becomes clearer when viewed as a dialogue between two worlds. The village represents order, kinship, farming and social rules. The bush represents uncertainty, danger, mystery and forces beyond human control. Bush spirits belong to this second realm.[Smarthistory]smarthistory.orgThe spirits are seduced from the wilderness by the…Read more…
Divination creates a temporary bridge between them. Through ritual, music, offerings, sculpture and trance, the diviner invites knowledge from outside ordinary social life into the centre of communal decision-making. Problems that seem invisible or confusing become matters that can be discussed and addressed.[smarthistory.org]smarthistory.orgThe spirits are seduced from the wilderness by the…Read more…
This theme appears across several traditions in Ivory Coast, where forests and uncultivated landscapes are often imagined as spiritually powerful places. The Baule version is especially important because it is richly documented through surviving sculptures, ethnographic research and museum collections. These sources provide unusually detailed evidence for how a West African divination system linked artistic creation, social authority and supernatural belief.[aaeportal.com]aaeportal.combaule african art western eyesAAE PortalBaule: African Art, Western Eyesby SM Vogel · 1997 · Cited by 153 — The superb sculptures of the Baule people of the Ivory Coas…
How the tradition has changed
The spread of Christianity, Islam, urbanisation and modern education has altered the place of traditional divination in many Baule communities. Yet the tradition has not disappeared. Some people continue to consult diviners, while others encounter these beliefs mainly through family memory, cultural heritage or museum exhibitions. Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology[lammuseum.wfu.edu]lammuseum.wfu.eduTimothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology Central Ivory CoastTimothy S. Y. Lam Museum of AnthropologyCentral Ivory Coast - Lam Museum of AnthropologyThis virtual exhibit section examines Baule art f…
At the same time, the sculptures once used in ritual settings have become some of the most admired works of African art internationally. Museums often display them as masterpieces of carving, but many modern curators emphasise that their original significance cannot be understood through aesthetics alone. They were created as active participants in encounters between humans and bush spirits, not merely as artworks to be viewed.[smarthistory.org]smarthistory.orgThe spirits are seduced from the wilderness by the…Read more…
For readers interested in the folklore of Ivory Coast, Baule divination offers an unusually clear example of how supernatural traditions operate in practice. The central story is not a single legend about a spirit creature. It is a continuing idea: that wisdom can emerge from contact with the mysterious forces of the bush, and that carved figures can help make that encounter possible.[smarthistory.org]smarthistory.orgThe spirits are seduced from the wilderness by the…Read more…
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Endnotes
1.
Source: smarthistory.org
Link:https://smarthistory.org/pair-of-diviners-figures/
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The spirits are seduced from the wilderness by the...Read more...
2.
Source: art-africain-traditionnel.com
Title: Asie Usu figure
Link:https://art-africain-traditionnel.com/en/pieces/74-asie-usu-figure-baule-ivory-coast.html
Source snippet
Baule - Ivory Coast - primitive african artTwo primary forms of figure carvings are used by the Baule; asie usu (also called asye usu; li...
3.
Source: randafricanart.com
Link:https://www.randafricanart.com/Baule_Blolo_bian_figure.html
Source snippet
Baule Blolo bian figureThis male figure most likely represents a sculpture made for a spirit husband, Blolo bian. According to Vogel, 'th...
4.
Source: youtube.com
Title: One Great Thing No.2
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzWo6JdrXpA
Source snippet
Art africain - Statue Baule Waka Sona...
5.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Art africain
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4beTcxu8jDk
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Baule Male and Female Figures...
6.
Source: metmuseum.org
Link:https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/310825
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The Metropolitan Museum of ArtMale figure for a komien (trance diviner) - Baule peoplesThe sculptures are often described as the asye usu...
7.
Source: khanacademy.org
Link:https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-africa/west-africa/ivory-coast/a/pair-of-diviners-figures-baule-peoples
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diviners. commission such figures from artists to attract the attention of asye usu, or nature spirits. Asye usu are considered to be...
8.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: African divination
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_divination
9.
Source: clevelandart.org
Link:https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1931.204
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Cleveland Museum of ArtMale FigureThis Male Figure typically comes as a pair of male and female sculptures, and serves as a bridge betwee...
10.
Source: blogs.missouristate.edu
Link:https://blogs.missouristate.edu/arthistory/baule-spirit-figure-researched-and-conserved-by-david-wright/
Source snippet
University BlogsBaule Spirit Figure: Researched and Conserved by David...Both types of spirit figures are carved according to the ideals...
11.
Source: aaeportal.com
Title: baule african art western eyes
Link:https://aaeportal.com/publications/-22140/baule-african-art-western-eyes
Source snippet
AAE PortalBaule: African Art, Western Eyesby SM Vogel · 1997 · Cited by 153 — The superb sculptures of the Baule people of the Ivory Coas...
12.
Source: lammuseum.wfu.edu
Title: Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology Central Ivory Coast
Link:https://lammuseum.wfu.edu/exhibits/virtual/to-be-seen-documenting-the-art-of-the-ivory-coast/central-ivory-coast/
Source snippet
Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of AnthropologyCentral Ivory Coast - Lam Museum of AnthropologyThis virtual exhibit section examines Baule art f...
13.
Source: zyama.com
Link:https://www.zyama.com/baule/pics..htm
Source snippet
African art museumThe Baule belong to the Akan peoples who inhabit Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.... Baule figures answer to two types of devo...
Additional References
14.
Source: christies.com
Link:https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6363672
Source snippet
BAULE FIGURE, IVORY COASTSeated Baule figures of this type were, for the most part, carved in order to assist komien trance diviners duri...
15.
Source: un-ruly.com
Link:https://un-ruly.com/what-the-baoule-taught-me-about-beauty/
16.
Source: africanarchive.org
Link:https://africanarchive.org/en/staemme/baule
Source snippet
The asie usu (also aslan usu) is a bush-spirit figure consulted by a Baule diviner. The figure typically shows an...Read more...
17.
Source: facebook.com
Title: often mistaken for colon figures because of their western attire these carvings
Link:https://www.facebook.com/straussandco/posts/often-mistaken-for-colon-figures-because-of-their-western-attire-these-carvings-/1231866875638583/
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Strauss & CoWooden sculpture representing nature spirits, known as “asye usu”, Baule people, Ivory Coast. Late 1800s–early 1900s. Among t...
18.
Source: scribd.com
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/672085095/Art-and-Oracle-African-Art-and-Rituals-of-Divination
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Their train- translated by the diviner. Such reliance on ing emphasizes properly compensating...Read more...
19.
Source: lempertz.com
Title: An important Baule “Asye Usu” diviniation figure
Link:https://www.lempertz.com/en/catalogues/lot/1284-1/25-an-important-baule-asye-usu-diviniation-figure.html
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Lot 25These carvings represent idealized male forms whose grace and beauty in both anatomy and adornment will seduce the spirits and comp...
20.
Source: raco.cat
Link:https://www.raco.cat/index.php/QuadernsICA/article/download/109918/169831/
Source snippet
libro cuadernos antroplogia.indbby S Volesky · 2005 — Finally, the Baule recognize that nature is filled with many minor bush spirits, ay...
21.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSvUVRou__s
Source snippet
Portrait Mask (Mblo) - Khan Academy Article Read-along...
22.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Baule Male and Female Figures
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy4_xiAnX_w
Source snippet
TEFAF 2016: Bernard de Grunne presents the Baule collection...
23.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Portrait Mask (Mblo)
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I2nn-ecXSs
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