Oron Tribal Sculpture Africa Art

RARE CONTEMPORARY ANCESTRAL FIGURE OF THE ORON, NIGERIA Weight: 1890 g (with base) Height: 57 cm (without base) Length/depth: 14 cm Width: 11 cm · very old · on oval base · Hand-carved from one piece of wood · Traces of use, drying cracks · Age patina Wood and pigments. The Orons are a small group that lives in the mouth of the Cross River near the Ibibio. These statues were carved to the death of a dignitary and provided with the "head beard", which carries certain objects of the depicted person and a hat. The statue in the form of a column consists of a wooden cylinder divided into sections: head, neck, arms at right angles, long body and short legs that form a large base. The Ekpu figures were lined up in the "Obio" shrine and twice a year the elders worshipped them by offering food offerings. African art is not fixed in old codifications and boundaries that the Western world sometimes wants to impose on it. It is a living thing, permeated by the world around it and by the obligatory syncretisms that constantly work both in contact with other groups and with those of Europeans. This statuette is a very good example. Rare are the modern, contemporary pieces that are not intended for the tourist market, but were intended and created for often still very lively rites and uses, such as ancestor worship for the Oron. Acquired by a French collector who acquired the statue in Nigeria between 1945 and 1960. We ship worldwide insured. Thank you for visiting AfricaArtSpirit, your mysterious portal to best kept treasures of Africa. Discover all our collections at: https://www.ballwool.com/shop/africaartspirit Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or want to know more about one of our pieces from our special art collection. Thank you very much!