This beautiful and elegant ceramic depiction of a
seated man was made by the Nok people of
Nigeria, at the very start of the first millennium
AD. The astonishing artistry and early date of
Nok pieces rank them among the most
important artworks on the African continent and
they occupy a major position for analysts of
African cultural systematics as well as in terms of
their sheer aesthetic value. Currently,
comparatively little is known of the Nok culture.
Flourishing between 900 BC and 200 AD, the
Nok “culture” is technically a misnomer, for the
artistic traditions it represents are the only
common characteristics shared by different Iron-
Age agriculturally-based communities that
differed in all other respects. Their artworks,
however, constitute the most sophisticated and
formalised early African artistic tradition outside
Egypt. Technically, they are very unusual because
of the manner in which coiled and subtractive
sculpting methods were used to capture
likenesses. Aesthetically, they are both
naturalistic and expressionist, with highly
distinctive elongated forms, triangular eyes,
pierced pupils/nostrils and elaborate hairstyles.
Substyles of the Nok tradition include the Jemaa
Style, the Katsina Ala Style (elongated heads) and
the Sokoto Style (elongated monobrow
foreheads, lending a severe expression to the
face) and random variants such as the Herm
Statues of Kuchamfa (simplified cylindrical
figures topped with normal heads) and the
“standard” three-dimensional standing figures,
which subscribe to the Jemaa style. It is to the
Katsina Ala group that the current piece can be
attributed. The function of the art is unclear,
although the care with which they are executed
has led some to claim they represent nobility, or
perhaps ancestors to which obeisance and
sacrifices were offered.
This piece is a classic of the Katsina Ala style.
The body is relatively naturalistic, shaped in a
series of graceful curves into a sitting position
with one knee up and the other flexed against
the floor. The left hand rests on the hip, while
the right is pressed against the chest; each holds
a small cylindrical object, probably weapons of
some sort, or staffs of authority. The most
extraordinary characteristic of this piece,
however, is the supremely elongated head, which
is formed into a long, conical shape narrowing
from the brows to the mouth. The mid-section of
the face is essentially featureless beneath the
rounded-triangle eyes, running down to a broad,
flat nose and a goatee beard that surrounds the
slightly open mouth at the very tip of the face. In
profile, this facial format lends a very graceful,
expressive form to the piece, which conveys both
calm reflection and mysterious inscrutability.
The figure is dressed in a range of items that
suggest a ceremonial rather than secular
function. The only practical item is the penis
sheath that lies against the right thigh. The other
items are ornamental, with a banded belt, a long
necklace, large groups of armlets, bracelets and
anklets, and a thick, decorative “collar” around
the neck. The hair – or perhaps headdress – has
been sculpted into an extremely ornate bouffant
trefoil pattern, with a central gather at the front,
then large, dome-like eminences on each side,
and another on top of the head.
As stated, the role of these pieces is uncertain.
The largest ones are believed to have been
placed in structures that had ceremonial or ritual
importance at the time, thus occupying a
prominent social position within the community.
Smaller ones may have been personal or
domestic talismans or deities/spirits. However,
when it comes to the identity of the people
portrayed in the art, rather more guesswork is
required. Men, women and fantastical
personages are all portrayed. Portraiture of
important people – such as chiefs and associated
figures – might be one possibility. One might
also argue that strong feminine or masculine
traits imply that the sculptor was emphasizing
the importance of fertility or virility, and all the
collateral benefits it implies (success in
agriculture etc). Fantastical sculptures are likely
to represent unusual characters such as spirits,
mythical figures (such as non-historical
ancestors) or shamans. The current piece
conveys authority and prestige in every aspect of
his appearance, and while we cannot be certain
at this remove from its date of manufacture, it is
likely that it represents an important person
associated with warfare or leadership, such as a
chief or a deceased ancestor to the tribe.
Whatever he represents, though, his aesthetic
and historic credentials are perfect; this is a
world-class piece of ancient art.
