Face bell · Nigeria, Lower Niger · ID: 3051077
sold
EUR 2,100
Provenance
Sotheby’s, London, 8 July 1974, Lot 117K. John Hewett (1919-1994), London, Great Britain
Sotheby’s, London, 21 June 1979, Lot 148
Rudolf Leopold, Vienna, Austria
Erwin & Susanne Melchardt, Vienna, Austria
Size
H: 17 cm
H: 6.7 inch
Description
copper alloy, casting defect, old age patina
Reminiscent of the so-called “omo” face bells worn by chiefs in the Ijebu region of the Yoruba people, where they served as a sign of the wearer’s rank and power.
The object Face bell with the object ID 3051077 was part of the auction Auction 103 on November 16, 2024. The object with the lot number 380 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,100 with an asking price of EUR 1,500.
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Comparing literature
Fagg, William, Yoruba, Sculpture of West Africa, New York 1982, p. 70 f.
Publications
AHDRC: 0097332