Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Spirit Wife (Blolo Bla)
Not on view
This figure, purchased by John Quinn for $100 from De Zayas in 1916, was one of the works featured on the opening plate of Charles Sheeler’s album documenting Quinn’s collection. Its glowing surface and the sense of tension it exudes epitomize Baule preferences for vitality in sculpture and matches the Western taste in African art that predominated during the period. Figures such as this one, possibly a "spirit wife," were commissioned for individuals with persistent afflictions during consultation with a diviner. These otherworldly spouses were highly personal objects, kept privately and cared for by their owners.
