Early shrine figure "ikenga" · Nigeria, Igbo · ID: 3053769
Starting price
EUR 1,300
Estimated price
EUR 2,500
Provenance
collected by a Scottish banker who worked in Nigeria during the 1910s until World War ISize
H: 42 cm
H: 16.5 inch
Description
wood, pigments, base
For comparable works from the same artist / workshop, see AHDRC 0093530, 0093449 and 0093549.
Ikenga (= “Place of Strength”) symbolizes the Igbo adult male’s aggressiveness and drive to achievement and success in all areas of life. Before undertaking a venture requiring economic skills or physical prowess the owner makes sacrificial offerings to the “ikenga”. This act of worship assures him the power to accomplish his goal.