Quirky colonial men

A guaranteed conversation starter, Colonial Men statues are a quirky art piece that work well in eclectic and global style interiors.

Also known as Colon [French for colonial] statues, they became popular post colonial rule in the Ivory Coast during the late 1950s. It is said as foreign administrators and expatriates began departing, they commissioned portraits of their vocation as a souvenir - doctor, soldier, priest and business men.

My own pipe smoking, orange shirt Colonial Man (see the last image) has been a colourful feature of our living room for many years. At 154cm tall, it is a favourite with my niece and nephew who used his shirt buttons to measure their growth from their last visit. Needless to say they are now both taller then my Colonial Man (and also me!).

[Images: 1-2 House and Leisure, 3,6 Safari Fusion, 4 Villa Sans Souci, 5 Forty Five Villa]