Some of the earliest examples of sophisticated sculpture in sub-Saharan Africa come from the Nok culture, an Iron Age civilization that has been dated between 900 B.C. and 200 A.D. The terracotta sculptures range in size from small pendants to life-size figures. We do not know what the people called themselves, so the civilization was named after the small tin-mining village of Nok where the first objects were discovered in 1928. Archaeological artifacts have been found in throughout Nigeria, primarily to the north of the Niger-Benue River confluence and below the Jos escarpment detailing the extent of their cultural influence. According to some accounts, based on artistic similarities between early Yoruba art forms and Nok forms, there may be connections between Nok culture and contemporary Yoruba peoples. What is clear is that certain stylistic tendencies prevalent in black African art today may have originated in the sculptures of the Nok.
This magnificent figure, with his pensive posture and distinctive elongated face, is characteristic of a sub-style of Nok statuary known by the name of Katsina Ala, after the site where such sculptures were first unearthed. The figure features refined molding that Nok sculptures have become famous for. His elaborate hairstyle, composed of 3 buns, has been carefully modeled. The man is weighted down in thick strands of beaded necklaces, representing real life counterparts made in stone or tin. He wears several bracelets and anklets as well as a protective penis sheath. This coiffure and jewelry are reflective of his wealth and elite position within the social structure of his tribe. He grips a small figure tightly in his left hand while resting his chin on his right bent knee.
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