Africa | Nigeria
Mumuye Head
Nigeria
Early 20th century
Carved wood and pigments
Height: 32 cm – 12 ½ in.
Provenance
Ex collection Martial Bronsin, Brussels
Ex Artcurial, Paris, Art Tribal, 7 June 2005, lot 50
Ex collection Leridon, Paris
Exhibition and publication
“Mumuye”, François Neyt, ed. L’Enfance de l’Art, Paris 2006, p. 154-155
Mumuye Head 32 cm / Galerie Flak
Price on request
The Mumuye live in the foothills of the Shebshi Mountains near the banks of the Benue in eastern Nigeria. This agrarian people is comprised of three different dialectal groups, and was long unknown to Westerners, who discovered their art only in the late 1960s.
The Mumuye used sculptures called Iagalagana in different rituals: the figures played a central role in ancestor worship and in curing ceremonies. They served as intercessors between the spirit world and that of men, and served as proof of the high status of the family that owned them.
The Mumuye used sculptures called Iagalagana in different rituals: the figures played a central role in ancestor worship and in curing ceremonies. They served as intercessors between the spirit world and that of men, and served as proof of the high status of the family that owned them.
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