West Africa, present day Niger and Burkina Faso, Bura-Asinda-Sikka area, ca. 1300 to 1500 CE. A sculpted funerary idol with a pillar-form body and a spade-shaped head. The idol is decorated with fine linear incisions which form abstract scarification marks on the body, ringlets around the neck, a stylized star-form motif on the face, and a concentric X-form motif behind the head. The face bears a narrow pair of slit-form eyes that flank a tall, crested nose, a set of puffy lips, and a tall forehead. Unfortunately, little is known about the culture that lived in this area when this statue was made, because it was only recently discovered and there have been very few scientific excavations. What has been found are large cemeteries with impressive necropoli, which provide evidence that this was a wealthy, complex society. They buried their dead in conical urns, often topped with figures like this one. Size: 6" W x 13.8" H (15.2 cm x 35.1 cm); 14.125" H (35.9 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: ex-private Pearson collection, Denver, Colorado, USA
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#143108
Condition
Small chips and losses to head, body, base, and peripheries, with light softening to some incised details, and several pitting holes due to porous nature of stone. Light earthen deposits throughout.