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African & Tribal Art :
Ife : Ife Style Terracotta Bust of a Man
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Ife Style Terracotta Bust of a Man - PF.5773
Origin: Nigeria
Circa: 20
th
Century AD
Collection: African
Medium: Terracotta
$6,500.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Ife, the capital and religious center of Southwest
Nigeria, was one of the first Sub-Saharan cities
to emerge at the end of the first millennium AD.
A substantial number of anthropomorphic and
zoomorphic sculptures, made most frequently in
terracotta although brass was also employed,
were produced in the region between the 11th
and the 15th centuries. This distinctive style is
broadly referred to as “Ife”, even though some
examples may come from other cities such as
Owo. The brass objects especially are strikingly
realistic, despite the fact they are almost
certainly idealized portraits of dead kings, called
Oni. The terracotta heads are more numerous
and varied, no doubt a result of the comparative
abundance and ease of working the material.
Some of the faces, whether made of brass or
terracotta, carry vertical parallel incisions,
possibly representing scarification or body paint.
- (PF.5773)
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