Beautiful male waka sona statuette, ancient asie usu, standing upright with his arms along his body in a dignified attitude, his head turned slightly to the right. This unpublished Baule sculpture is undoubtedly part of a stylistic center and a corpus that has become prestigious thanks to various studies, both in the field and in the analysis of the styles of various works of the great Baule statuary, and in the style known as that of the masters of Sakassou or Essankro. Indeed, there is no doubt about details such as the treatment of his eyes, the shape of his ears, a slanted scarification on the right side of his neck, his very beautiful shoulder blades protruding in two subtle flat areas, as well as the treatment of his feet resting on a characteristic type of pedestal and of his hands, although here the artist did not achieve them like the great masters of the first generation. Nevertheless, he is a very good sculptor who could be called the "little master" of Sékessou or Essankro. An additional detail, if one were needed, concerning one of the characteristics of the sculptures of this style center is the rich and varied beauty of the treatment of the hairstyles, which here is particularly original and rare in five falling braids, one of which is pierced at the back to receive a mat or other ornament, and underlined at the front by a fine line engraved on the edge, absolutely characteristic of the Sakassou workshops, and signing this work with its singularity. Baule, Ivory Coast Wood, old wear and small cracks, very beautiful and old patina of use H. H. : 42 cm