West Africa, Nigeria, left bank of the Benue River, Tiv peoples, ca. mid to late 19th century CE. A beautiful standing female ancestral figure known as an "ihambe," hand-carved from hard wood, standing atop wide-spread legs with delineated genitalia in-between. Her upright, rigid posture emphasizes her distended abdomen and protruding navel which traces upwards to small, perky breasts, and from sloping shoulders hang a pair of lengthy arms. A blocky head rests upon a squat neck and exhibits recessed eye holes, a wide nose, thin lips surrounding an open mouth, projecting ears with two piercings each, and a wide brow beneath a domed head. Lustrous brown patina envelops the entirety of this figure and emphasizes its striking presentation. An exceedingly rare example from this lesser-known west African culture! Custom wooden display stand included. Size: 9.875" W x 17.5" H (25.1 cm x 44.4 cm); 19.375" H (49.2 cm) on included custom stand.

The Tiv peoples occupy much of the fertile farming areas around the Niger and Benue Rivers. Their Cross-River location means that they are regularly influenced by outside tribes who influence their traditions, culture, and art; conversely, this constant influence means that examples of identifiably Tiv art are quite rare.

Tiv works of art typically involve a simple style that does not conform to specific artistic tradition. Some pieces are generally defined by naturalistic body features, long and straight forms with integral bulbous heads - like this example - or simply carved heads attached to human or animal leg bones. Though stylistically varied, they are often symbolically associated with thwarting the idea or feelings involved with "akombo," the feeling of fear one experiences when under the influence of malevolent magical spirits and bad luck. Usually placed in the doorway of a home or simply inside a home, this is one such example of a figure used to combat these evil spirits.

Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection; ex-private Jo de Buck collection, Brussels, Belgium; ex-James Stephenson collection, Brooklyn, New York, USA

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#137352

Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, with loss to front of one foot and a small repair to front of other foot. Small nicks and chips to feet, body, arms, and head, and some stable hairline fissures on body, head, and verso. Nice earthen deposits and fabulous dark-brown patina throughout.