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THBTwo Benin Wood Ukhurhe Altar Rattles w/ Nude Figures
Lot 41b
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, Nigeria, Benin / Edo people, ca. early 20th century CE. An impressive pair of early 20th century Nigerian Benin Edo ukhurhe, or ancestral rattle staffs, each carved from a single length of wood into a vertical procession of symbolic forms. These exceptionally large examples are composed of stacked, bamboo-like segments, a visual echo of the ukhurhe-oho plant native to the Benin region. In Edo belief, each segment represents a single lifespan, the sequence embodying the continuity of generations and the enduring presence of lineage. Commissioned upon the death of an Edo man, an ukhurhe was the solemn duty of the eldest son to place on the family altar - the only essential object required there - where it would stand among other ancestral emblems such as memorial heads, ivory tusks, and bells. The staffs are topped with finely rendered standing male figures in elaborate dress, symbols of high status and elite identity. Size: 3" W x 68.4" H (7.6 cm x 173.7 cm); 70.4" H (178.8 cm) on included custom stand.
Beneath these dressed men are nude figures: the taller staff displays three figures in total - two nude men surmounted by the dressed male - while the other shows two figures - a nude female supporting the dressed male above. The uppermost section of each staff is hollowed and pierced with vertical slits, enclosing a freely moving wooden cylinder that produces a distinctive rattle when stamped against the ground. This resonant sound was believed to summon the ancestor's spirit, inviting him to receive offerings and hear petitions. Beyond their role on the family altar, such staffs were also carried by courtiers during ceremonial processions, their stamping and rattling reinforcing the authority of tradition. With their commanding scale, detailed carving, and symbolic composition, these ukhurhe stand as both instruments of sound and vessels of memory, affirming the Edo philosophy that the strength of the individual lies within the unbroken chain of the collective.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#195890Some stable fissures to both, as well as scattered nicks, scratches, and abrasions, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, both are intact and very nice with liberal remains of pigments and rich patina to wood. Good preservation of detail throughout.Condition
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