Anthropomorphic stele

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Description

basalt monolith, redwood powder at the base, half figure, face and projecting beard, breasts and prominent navel recognizable, slightly dam., minor missing parts (nose):
according to oral tradition of the Ekoi/Ejagham, who settle in this area nowadays, the stones came from their ancestors. They remind of large anthropomorphic stones which are sometimes found in abandoned villages of the Bakor clan, which is part of the Ejagham ethnic group. These monolithes are known as “atal”. They represent known, historic or legendary figures. Attempts to date these objects have so far had to rely on archaeological techniques, which place the monoliths to around 200 AD.

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Comparing literature

Lebas, Alain (ed.), Arts of Nigeria in French Private Collections, Milan 2012, p. 272, ill. 79

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