Figure "ikenga" ·  Nigeria, Igbo · ID: 3032970

Description

wood, polychrome paint, sitting on a stool, gorgeous ornamented with bracelets and necklace, additional ornamental decor in carved or painted form, provided with knife and gun, supporting a round two storeyed superstructure on the head, carved with five heads and two birds, most characteristic attribute of the “ikenga”: the curved ram horns, slightly dam., cracks, rep. (curved ornament, bird);
a work of the same artist can be found in the Nigerian Museum in Lagos ( J. Boston, 1977, p. 84, ill. 7).
The “ikenga” symbolizes the Igbo adult male’s aggressiveness and drive to achievement and success. Before undertaking a venture requiring economic skills or physical prowess the owner makes sacrificial offerings to the “ikenga”, which embodies the spirit of the owner’ s hand. This act of worship assures him the power to accomplish his goal. He also may make sacrifices in gratitude for past success. “Ikenga” sculptures are found in a wide variety of styles, the size and form usually an indication of the status of the owner. Perhaps the best known form is the “warrior ikenga”, a horned figure often seated on a titleholder’s stool, holding a machete and a severed head.

Comparing literature

Boston, John, Ikenga figures among the north-west Igbo and the Igala, London 1977, ill. 7