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THB16th C. Nigerian Ejagham Sandstone Female Figure
Lot 36
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$1,200 - $1,800
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Jul 13, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-07-13 12:00:00
2021-07-13 12:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Fauna, Flora, Stones & Bones
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fauna-flora-stones-bones-7214
Join us for a very special summer auction featuring fabulous fossils, rocks, and minerals, plus art depicting flora and fauna from antiquity to present day. This is one you won't want to miss! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Join us for a very special summer auction featuring fabulous fossils, rocks, and minerals, plus art depicting flora and fauna from antiquity to present day. This is one you won't want to miss! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (134)
- Lot Description
West Africa, Nigeria, Cross River, Ekoi (Ejagham) / Bakor, ca. 16th to 18th century CE. A remarkable stone monolith depicting an ancestor figure, known as an "Ikom Atal" or an "Akwanshi" which, in the local language, translates to "dead people." Shown pregnant, the female figure is shown from the waist up with both arms resting on her bulbous belly and hands flanking a projecting navel below her circular breasts and sloped shoulders. Her huge head displays a dramatic visage, comprised of bulging, annular eyes, a triangular nose, and full lips held open. A pair of minimalist ears are shown below her carved coiffure. An impressive and rare find! Size: 4.25" W x 11.5" H (10.8 cm x 29.2 cm); 12.25" H (31.1 cm) on included custom stand.
These ancient statues are part of the funerary practices of people from this area; when someone died, for centuries, their family members would place a stone in a family stone circle, facing inward, in memory of the departed. They were partly buried, so that only the body above the belly button is above ground. These are the most elaborately carved large stone sculptures from West Africa and populate villages for a stretch of nearly 600 miles around the Cross River of southeastern Nigeria. The volcanic stone they are carved from comes from the stone that lines the banks of the river. Not all depict as many details as this one does, but nearly all of the around three hundred examples that have been documented display two key features: the belly button, and the open mouth that indicates speaking or singing of past ceremonies.
Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection, acquired in 2006; ex-Hemingway Gallery, New York, New York, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
#162931Extensive weathering on surface as shown, commensurate with age. Otherwise excellent with extensive reddish soil deposits.Condition
- Shipping Info
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All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
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