Lot 265
**Originally Listed At $600**
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
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#195893
- Condition: Several stable fissures throughout as well as some nicks, chips, and abrasions commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with good remaining pigments.
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| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
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