Title: Fragmentary male Bura terracotta statuetteOrigin: NigerMaterials: TerracottaSize: 25 cmDescription: Fragmentary male Bura terracotta statuette, Niger, strong legs, clearly modeled genitalia, penis broken off, arms and legs unprofessionally repaired, a bracelet on each arm, mouth slightly open, protruding round eyes, the nose only indicated. The last few decades have brought to light many previously unknown cultures in the African continent. The Bura Tribe is one of over 300 recorded tribes that occupy Nigeria and the surrounding area. The ‘Bura culture’ was first discovered in 1975 by chance, as a young man from a nearby village found two heads while he was hunting and gave them as toys to children. The culture of Bura anthropomorphic terra cotta sculpture extends North of the Sirba river and South of the line Tera-Tillaberi, which is North West of Niamey, the capital of Niger. Its stylistically unequivocal, typical terracotta finds have been dated to the period between the third and the eleventh centuries AD. The clay and stone anthropomorphic sculptures of the ancient and medieval Bura culture have been sought for their unusual abstraction and simplicity. Lit.: Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Vallées du Niger,1993. K.-F. Schädler, Erde und Erz. According to the UNESCO Convention of 1970, a claim for repatriation expires one year after the authorities of a country of origin have learned where and with whom a cultural object is located. Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery therefore always informs about every newly imported object. Especially about the bronzes from Nigeria shown on this page, which are published in the internet and are accessible to everyone. Organizations dealing with restitution issues, but also freelance art historians employed by the state, such as restitution experts like Benedicte Savoy, are regularly informed about objects in the Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke. Every buyer of an art object, regardless whether it is made of wood, terra-cotta or bronze, must be aware that from a European legal perspective, traditional African art usually came from the respective African country of origin with insufficient export documents. Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke, Berlin, tries to do justice to this dilemma by acting with the greatest possible transparency. The export policy of African states is problematic for art historical research, since African and European dealers usually work covertly due to diffuse legal situations and important information that was passed on from trade to science before 1970 tends to be lost. In case of uncertainties, please contact the managing director of Jaenicke-Njoya GmbH, Wolfgang Jaenicke. It is in the interest of the gallery to clarify any questionable situation with all available means.
Reserve: $70.00
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