Post figure "wundul" or "dumbun" ·  Nigeria, Wurkun · ID: 3035058

Description

wood, brown patina, remains of black paint, metal nose, accentuated ears and zigzag beard, fragmentary, missing parts through insect caused damage (above all backside), continuous fissure (right side of the body), socle;
such figures appear in pairs male-female. They are supposed to ensure the well-being of the family, with special attention paid to fruitful crop. Usually they were set up in the fields outside teepee-like structures made of grass matting, with a large sacrifice pot placed nearby. Some others were set-up at shrines within the owners compound as a form of protection to avoid illness after divination.

The object Post figure “wundul” or “dumbun” with the object ID 3035058 was last part of the auction 73rd tribal art auction at May 25, 2013 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 270 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,300.

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Comparing literature

Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture, München 2009, p. 615