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Adulthood

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For an adult in Africa success in a traditional community is measured by his or her ability to find a partner, raise a family, and provide for the children therby guaranteeing that the family will survive through the generations. Every adult is beset by concerns about the health of her children and family, his ability to secure and hold the means to earn a living, and about the many uncertainties that we must confront throughout our lives. For a Baule man or woman to fail to marry, bear numerous children, and provide for his family is considered a serious problem. She/he may visit a diviner who may prescribe the carving of a figure that represents the spouse s/he had in the spirit world before birth. The spirit spouse takes possession of the figure, and care and attention as well as prayers and offerings are lavished on it to please it so that it will permit its real-world spouse to fulfill his gender role. This figure pair represents the female larger than the male, therefore it may have belonged to a Baule man.

Spirit Figure

Baule people, Cote d'Ivoire Wood / H. 39 cm. (15.35") The University of Iowa Museum of Art CMS #527 photo by Ecco Hart

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Adulthood

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As adults a principle concern is for the health and well-being of spouse and children. A woman who is experiencing difficulty conceiving children may consult a specialist. A husband may consult a specialist if his children fail to thrive and if the family is stricken by disease, crop failure, or accident. The specialist may be called a variety of names in African languages, especially babalawo in the Yoruba world, nganga in central Africa, but our own equivalents are "priest", "pastor", "rabbi", or "imam". These are the "specialists" who stand between us and God, who help us find solutions to problems in times of great need. Such terms as "witch doctor", "medicine man", and "magician" are not acceptable because they carry condescending cultural associations. The divination board from the Yoruba people was used by a babalawo or father of secrets to communicate with the orisha or gods and determine the source of his clients' affliction.

Divination Board

Yoruba people, Nigeria Wood / H. 54.61 cm. (21.5") The University of Iowa Museum of Art CMS #397 photo by Ecco Hart

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