A wooden sculpture - Prampram - Ghana (No reserve price)

Prampram Doll - Southern Ghana, incl stand. This small wooden figure captivates with its radical simplification of the human form. A long neck rises above a slender, cylindrical body, supporting an almost spherical head. The face is suggested only by tiny indentations and barely perceptible carvings. Two short, arched arms flank the torso, while the legs are formed as pointed extensions. Small perforations and dark, curved inlays in the shoulder area break up the closed form. The light, chalky, weathered surface lends the figure a serene, almost weightless appearance. Its effect arises from the tension between geometric rigor and a childlike physicality. The Prampram belong to the cultural context of the Dangme people in the southeastern coastal region of Ghana. Anthropomorphic wooden figures have been found there in various religious and social contexts. The small Aklama figures, in particular, serve as material representations of spiritual helpers among the Dangme and neighboring Ewe peoples, to whom protection and well-being are attributed. The present doll closely resembles this simplified formal language. Whether it was used as a toy, protective figure, or ritual object cannot be determined without reliable information about its provenance. Literature (selection): Gigi Pezzoli / Philipp Plath / Nii O. Quarcoopome: Aklama: Helper Spirits of the Ewe and Dangme. Studienstiftung Horst Antes, 2016. Herbert M. Cole / Doran H. Ross: The Arts of Ghana. Los Angeles 1977. Marion Kilson: Kpele Lala: Ga Religious Songs and Symbols. Cambridge, Massachusetts 1971. Some of the information and photos are generated by artificial intelligence and is based on published sources from the fields of ethnography, archaeology, and art history documents. All information and photos are protected by copyright. Inv. No. MAZ30676 Informant: Ouro

Estimate:£126.72

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