Female figure · Nigeria, Eket · ID: 3040692
Drouot, Paris, 19 April 2002, lot 151
Description
wood, polychrome paint, rising from a cuboid base, orginally provided with movable arms (now missing), min. dam., small missing parts, slight traces of abrasion, base;
there are various theories about the usage of such figures: they might have been used for the puppet theatre “akan”, but they might as well have been placed on the shrine of a chief’s memorial “ngwomo”. Finally Eket figures were actually used as headdresses, danced in honour of the earth deities. They were more than likely also tutelary deities concerned with the health and prosperity of the people.
The object Female figure with the object ID 3040692 was last part of the auction 83rd Tribal Art Auction at May 28, 2016 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 249.
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Publications
Neyt, Francois, L'Art Eket, Collection Azar, Paris 1979, p. 8, ill. 8
AHDRC: 0090277