Description:

**Originally Listed At $2000**

West Africa, Nigeria, Igbo people, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. A pair of tall hand-carved and painted wood figures, a nude couple with delineated genitalia between legs - here a male and a female. The scarification marks on the man are for beautification and indicate adulthood, while the white kaolin pigment indicates purity. Ancestor worship was practiced by many Nigerian cultures, and carvings were a way to anchor or house the spirits and direct prayer. Such figures are placed in shrines and venerated as family guardians, and as a couple working together these figures were more powerful together than single. Size: 6.5" L x 5" W x 22.5" H (16.5 cm x 12.7 cm x 57.2 cm); 24" H (61 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Lynn Rosen collection, New York City, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s

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#174647

  • Condition: Old inactive insect holes and losses to woman as shown. Chips / abrasions and stable pressure fissures on both figures. Fading to painted pigments and dark patina throughout. Overall good condition with age and exposure expected weathering.

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May 11, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000