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THBLiberian Dan Lu Me Nude Female Figure w/ Human Hair
Lot 61b
About Seller
Artemis Fine Arts
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$1,500 - $2,500
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Fine Arts
Aug 22, 2025
Set Reminder
2025-08-22 10:00:00
2025-08-22 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Indigenous Art - Ralph T. Coe Center, Santa Fe, NM
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/indigenous-art---ralph-t-coe-center-santa-fe-nm-20324
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
View Full Catalog (452)
- Lot Description
West Africa, Liberia, Dan peoples, ca. first quarter of the 20th century CE. Carved with poise and precision, this rare standing female lu me ("wooden person") embodies the prestige, artistry, and personal honor central to Dan society. Worked from a single block of hardwood, the nude figure stands with legs firmly apart and arms relaxed at her sides, her proportions idealized according to Dan concepts of feminine beauty. The form is enlivened by meticulous details: delicately rendered toes, a finely modeled face, and brass tacks inset to accentuate the pupils, nipples, and navel. She wears a fabric headband adorned with brass tacks surmounted by an elaborate coiffure of human hair and reed fiber, its braided tail cascading down her back. Lu me figures are not ancestor images but prestige portraits of living women, most often the favored senior wife of a wealthy or influential man. Size: 7" W x 26.3" H (17.8 cm x 66.8 cm)
They are commissioned from the most accomplished sculptors whose refined style is evident in the figure's balanced stance, elongated neck rings, and calm, symmetrical features. These works were among the most expensive and honored forms of Dan art, displayed only on special occasions to exalt the reputations of both subject and owner. Sometimes housed in their own miniature hut alongside other treasured possessions, such sculptures could be presented at feasts to honor guests, reinforce alliances, and celebrate the prestige of their patron.
This figure captures not only the likeness of an esteemed woman but also the ideals of beauty, dignity, and social stature cherished by the Dan. It stands today as a testament to the artistry of its maker and the enduring cultural significance of the lu me tradition.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired in 2010 via descent; ex-private collection of Ralph T. Coe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired in the late 1970s via an African trader in Kansas City, Missouri, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#196290Missing proper right hand. Old repairs to both arms with break lines visible. Some stable fissure, nicks, abrasions, and areas of old, inactive insect damage. Matting to hair. Nice remaining detail and rich patina to wood.Condition
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