The Baoulé produce two types of statues in a ritual context: the Waka-Sona statues, which represent wooden beings and evoke the assié oussou, earthly spirits. These statues are intended to be used as mediums by komien diviners, chosen by the asye usu spirits to convey revelations from the beyond. The second type of statues, crafted following the instructions of the diviners, represents spouses from the afterlife, male (Blolo bian) or female (Blolo bia). The Baoulé, located in central Côte d'Ivoire, are part of the sixty ethnic groups in the country, which also include the Akans from Ghana and the Gouro, from whom they adopted rituals and masks. The basic social unit is the lineage, led by an elder with political and religious responsibilities.
