Small mask · Nigeria, Igbo-Ukwu · ID: 3037863
sold
EUR 1,200
Provenance
Ludwig Bretschneider, Munich, GermanySize
H: 14,5 cm
H: 5.7 inch
Description
bronze, slightly asymmetrical facial features, plaited band- and spiral decor, min. dam., small missing parts, traces of corrosion;
among Igbo-Ukwu finds are the earliest known African bronze castings, the earliest complicated “shrine” assemblage, the earliest elaborated set of regalia for a leader, and the first Nigerian textiles. Even by contemporary standards Igbo-Ukwu art remains among the most technically advanced, virtuosic and delicate art styles south of the Sahara.
Comparing literature
Cole, Herbert M. & Chike C. Aniakor, Chike, Igbo Arts, Los Angeles 1984, p. 23, ill. 37