Ancestor figure – Wood – Lu Me – Dan – Ivory Coast

Commissioned by powerful leaders as three-dimensional portraits of their favorite wives, the African art characters Lü Me also sometimes serve as maternity characters with babies carved on their backs.

Once the traditional sculpture is finished, the lu is introduced to the community at a grand feast organized by the chief (so only rich men can order a lüme for their wives).
After being shown, the figure is usually hidden in the house and then released only on important occasions.
Beautiful scarifications cover the body and a great patina of age.