Great Botchio sculpture, the body is constituted by the curvilinear trunk in movement, surmounted by a very expressive oblong head despite the fire that has deeply marked it and contributes here to its evocative power, its appearance is linked to the rituals themselves, art and the sacred merging in voodoo. "The Botchio has a sentinel role. He protects a village, a neighborhood, a lineage, a secret society, a family or an individual. He is responsible for warding off dangers from the outside world, but also any cause for discord, division or dispute within a group. He is therefore both the guardian of order and the guarantor of harmony. J.K. Fon, Benin Wood, important burns, old erosions, very beautiful and old crusty patina. H. 190 cm Provenance : Anne and Jacques Kerchache Collection Exhibitions and Publications : - Exhibition Botchio Sculptures Fon, Benin. Espace Paul Rebeyrolle 1996, reproduced pages 40 and 41 of the catalog - Sale Pierre Bergé et Associés of June 13, 2010, Collection Anne and Jacques Kerchache, lot 266 page 296 - Exhibition VAUDOU at the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, Paris 2011, work exhibited but not reproduced in the catalog (visible on the Fondation Cartier website).