Female figure ·  Nigéria, Igbo · ID: 3032665

Description

light brown wood, matt patina, remains of polychrome paint, angular forms, fragmentary (lower legs missing), cracks, missing parts through insect caused damage, on metal base;
Igbo figures serve a range of purposes. In the southern area, statues are carved to house the spirits of venerated ancestors, and appear on shrines in family compounds. Ancestors serve as media through which the living can make contact with the highest level of the spirit world, and Igbo shrines thus serve as contact points. In the north there are many cults whose deities are associated with certain days of the week and, more specifically, with local markets held on those days.