Post figure "wundul" or "dumbun" · Nigeria, Wurkun · ID: 3043595
not available anymore
Provenance
Dutch Private Collection (1970s)Mia van Bussel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Pierre Dartevelle, Brussels, Belgium
Beppe Berna, Bologna, Italy
Size
H: 45,5 cm
H: 17.9 inch
Description
wood, dark brown patina, partly encrusted, dam., insect caused damage, cracks, base.
The Wurkun are well-known for their pairs of male-female figures on iron spikes. Their function is to ensure the well-being of the owner and his family, with a special orientation towards the fertility of the crops. In most cases they were set up in the fields outside the teepee-like structure made of a grass mat, with a large pot for sacrifices nearby. Others were established on shrines within the owner’s compound like the Chambas “tauwa” figures and, like them, were used for curing illness by divination.
Expertise
Beppe Berna, Bologna, 130 T F
Publications
AHDRC: 0127626