A beads sculpture - Yoruba - Nigeria (No reserve price)

Yoruba Bead Sculpture with Equestrian Figure - Osogbo Region, Nigeria This exceptionally colorful sculpture depicts an anthropomorphic figure atop a stylized quadruped. Nearly all parts of the body are covered with densely packed glass beads in yellow, turquoise, blue, red, green, and white. The human figure's narrow head features an upward-curving protrusion; circular eyes and a prominent nose lend it a striking expression. A long, vertically extending arm, broad shoulders, and a white-painted side panel further define the composition. The animal has a yellow head with large white eyes and a neck ornament of light-colored beads. A red-rimmed base completes the multi-part ensemble. The Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria associate elaborate beadwork with notions of rank, sacred efficacy, and political authority. The equestrian motif often signifies dominion and power; similar figures with curved head ornaments are also associated with Èṣù, the divine mediator. Literature (selection) Henry John Drewal / John Mason: Beads, Body, and Soul: Art and Light in the Yoruba Universe. Los Angeles 1998. Henry J. Drewal / John Pemberton III / Rowland Abiodun: Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought. New York 1989. William Fagg / Bryce Holcombe / John Pemberton III: Yoruba Beadwork: Art of Nigeria. New York 1980. Some of the information and photos are generated by artificial intelligence and is based on published sources from the fields of ethnography, archaeology, and art history documents. All information and photos are protected by copyright. Inv. No. MAZ30035 Informant Amadou Dogo

Estimate:$168.03

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