Figure "ikenga" ·  Nigéria, Igbo · ID: 3032970

Description

wood, polychrome paint, sitting on a stool, gorgeous ornamented with bracelets and necklace, additional ornamental decor in carved or painted form, provided with knife and gun, supporting a round two storeyed superstructure on the head, carved with five heads and two birds, most characteristic attribute of the “ikenga”: the curved ram horns, slightly dam., cracks, rep. (curved ornament, bird);
a work of the same artist can be found in the Nigerian Museum in Lagos ( J. Boston, 1977, p. 84, ill. 7).
The “ikenga” symbolizes the Igbo adult male’s aggressiveness and drive to achievement and success. Before undertaking a venture requiring economic skills or physical prowess the owner makes sacrificial offerings to the “ikenga”, which embodies the spirit of the owner’ s hand. This act of worship assures him the power to accomplish his goal. He also may make sacrifices in gratitude for past success. “Ikenga” sculptures are found in a wide variety of styles, the size and form usually an indication of the status of the owner. Perhaps the best known form is the “warrior ikenga”, a horned figure often seated on a titleholder’s stool, holding a machete and a severed head.

L’objet Figure “ikenga” avec l’ID d’objet 3032970 a fait partie de la vente aux enchères 69th tribal art auction dans 2 juin 2012. L’objet portant le numéro de lot 333 a atteint un prix de vente de 5 000 € pour un prix d’adjudication de 4 500 €.

Vous trouverez d’autres Figures et autres types d’objets populaires sur nos pages thématiques associées. Notre page sur le thème Art africain pourrait également vous intéresser.

Littérature comparée

Boston, John, Ikenga figures among the north-west Igbo and the Igala, London 1977, ill. 7