Protective figure "tau-wandoa" · Nigeria, Chamba · ID: 3033517
Didier Claes, Brussels, Belgium
Description
wood, greyish brown patina, encrusted in some areas, sacrificial traces, of characteristic form, worked on iron staff, slightly dam., cracks, corrosion, on metal base;
“tauwa” figures are pure protective figures, which should help against snake poison, but they were used at harvest festivities as well. They were kept in small houses called “wula tauwa”, where they were stuck into the bottom of ground.
The object Protective figure “tau-wandoa” with the object ID 3033517 was last part of the auction 70th tribal art auction at September 8, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 289.
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Comparing literature
Fardon, Richard, Stelzig, Christine, Column to volume, London 2005, p. 79, ill. 15