The ‘mouse oracle’ of the Baule people functions in the following manner: the priest places a few small objects, mostly sticks, in the interior of the round vessel. They are placed in a specific order. Then he digs a small, narrow passage near the vessel and scatters some mouse food here. If a mouse comes and eats the food, it gets underneath the wooden pot – and on the lower side of the ‘mouse oracle’ there is a hole.
The mouse crawls through this hole into the vessel, and through a second hole into the hollow in which the priest has placed his sticks. The mouse then brings them into disarray, and priest creates his oracle based on the new position of his little sticks. This is how the ‘mouse oracle’ of the Baule people functions.
The present ‘mouse oracle’ is old and complete. It has the larger hole on the lower side and the smaller hole on the inside, through which the mouse reaches the ‘oracle space’. With a fine, seated, bearded male figure carved out of one piece, a typical Baule mask in relief on each side of the oracle vessel, and with the lid that the priest lifts up after the mouse has visited, in order to examine the new position of his sticks. A very rare, old object, carved from hard, light wood and originally dyed black. No appreciable damage. An object with very good, old usage patina on all sides.
Dimensions: 16 cm x 11 cm x 15 cm.
First third of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance:
Private collection, Belgium; Jan Visser Collection, Holland; currently: Austrian private collection. Lit.:
‘Baule. African Art- Western Eyes’ by Susan M. Vogel, ill. p. 269, 270, 271.