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THBNigerian Yoruba Wood Female Fertility Shrine Table
Lot 48b
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
Starting Bid
$600
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| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
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, Nigeria, Yoruba people, ca. 1920s to 1950s CE. A commanding Yoruba wood offering table carved in the form of a standing female, her elongated body supporting a circular tray raised high above her head. She wears a necklace poised just above her prominent breasts, a belt encircling her waist, knee bands, and shoes, but is otherwise nude, with her genitalia clearly delineated. The torso, breasts, neck, back, and stomach are adorned with deeply incised ritual scarification, each mark a signifier of beauty, status, and spiritual potency in Yoruba culture. The figure's body is coated entirely in imported "bluing" dye, a vivid cobalt tone that would have lent her a luminous presence in the dim light of a shrine. The careful attention to anatomical detailing, the prominence of scarification, and the marked emphasis on her sexual characteristics suggest an association with female fertility veneration. Size: 9.4" L x 10.6" W x 43.8" H (23.9 cm x 26.9 cm x 111.3 cm)
The smooth patina along her wrists and forearms implies repeated handling, likely during fertility rites, when the figure may have been carried or repositioned. Such offering tables could stand as a pair flanking a shrine, reinforcing symmetry and spiritual balance. The mutilation to the vaginal area, though unsettling, may have been part of a ritual act, underscoring the object's sacred role. The deeply carved designs on the reverse - running from the shoulders to the legs - confirm that this figure was intended to be seen in the round, impressing participants from every vantage during ceremonial occasions. Her association may extend to the Gelede or Epa motherhood festivals, both rich in pageantry and dedicated to honoring the generative powers of women. This work stands as a testament to the Yoruba reverence for women's societal and spiritual roles, blending artistry, symbolism, and ritual power into a singular form.
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, purchased in December 2003; ex-Taylor Dale Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; ex-Meredith collection, Des Moines, Iowa, 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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#195893Several stable fissures throughout as well as some nicks, chips, and abrasions commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with good remaining pigments.Condition
- Shipping Info
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