Bone Female Tugubele Figure - Senufo People, Ivory Coast

From the southern Senufo people. It has striking similarity to Baule figures, so this is probably from the northern Baule people, where the two tribes overlap.
The hair style is similar to the Baule, but the mouth looks more like figures from the Senufo.
It is also typical for Baule figures to be standing with hands on the stomach, alluding to fertility. It is rare to find figures like this carved out of bone, as they are usually carved out of wood.

Small statues called 'deble' an abbreviation of 'madebele' which means spirit, are used by Senufo diviners (Sando’o). Human in form, they represent the bush or nature spirits to assist people to maintain good health, achieve success, & develop satisfactory relationships with friends and family. Spirits can also be accountable for people’s illness or hardship. Diviners would commission artists to carve the ‘Deble’ or 'Tugubele' to appeal to the unpredictable spirits and seek their goodwill and appease them.

Height: 8 ½” x Width: 2” ¼ x Depth: 2 ¼”.
Note: Due to its age, the are several splits, and a piece of its back left foot is missing.

Ex. Allen Davis Collection, Virginia.
Allen Davis - August 23, 1927 ~ February 17, 2025
Ambassador Allen Davis, led a life marked by service, diplomacy and a deep appreciation for nature and a passion for collecting African art. He found beauty and meaning in the cultures he encountered throughout his life.
To view more of the Allen Davis Collection entitiled ‘African Brilliance: A Diplomat’s Sixty Years of Collecting’ an exhibit at Palmer Museum of Art, Penn State 2020 go to; https://exhibitions.psu.edu/s/african-brilliance/page/allen-davis