TS_Art of Africa_4C.qxp 10/17/2011 3:50 PM Page 111
Statue (Lobi).
Ivory Coast.
Wood, height: 81.5 cm.
Private collection.The Thil, an ancestor or protective spirit, passes from generation
to generation and only reveals itself to someone under special
circumstances (dreams or unusual events). The seer is then able
to tell others where the statue should be built.