About one million people identify themselves as Baule today. the Baule belong to the Akan peoples who reside within Ghana and central Côte d'Ivoire (1). three hundred years ago, when the asante began rising to power, the baule
started to migrate westward from ghana, and thus a subdivision of the akan peoples began to develop. the baule religion incorporates a strong emphasis on ancestor worship and devotion to the worship of a hierarchy of nature gods in daily life. The Baule often represent nature and spirit gods within their artwork, primarily sculpture. however, their creator god Alouroua, is never physically represented in baule artwork. In addition to wooden sculpture, the Baule are known for their mask and figure carving. these sculptures and masks are different from any other akan craftsmanship, and allow for a closer contact with the supernatural world. there is also some asante influence in baule art, including using media such as gold and brass in the casting process (2).

Agriculture: the baule produce yams and some maize as their primary crops, but kola nuts and coco are also grown on plantations and exported. Many locally-grown crops including tomatoes, squash, and peppers, were introduced from the americas during the slave trade. In addition, the baule commonly raise sheep, goats, chicken, and dogs. Markets, which are run by the local baule women, take place every four days and are the center of the baule economy(2).
                                                                                                                       
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