Small mask · Nigeria, Igbo-Ukwu · ID: 3037863
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.
The object Small mask with the object ID 3037863 was last part of the auction 78th tribal art auction at October 18, 2014 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 298 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,200.
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Comparing literature
Cole, Herbert M. & Chike C. Aniakor, Chike, Igbo Arts, Los Angeles 1984, p. 23, ill. 37