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All auctions / Ethnographic / A iron sculpture - Vere - Nigeria (No reserve price)
Black iron sculpture Vere, Adamawa Region, Borno village, Nigeria Surface with shades of dark brown, gray, and orange; oxidized, incl stand. This anthropomorphic iron figure, Vere, has a slender silhouette whose simplified forms emphasize verticality and openwork spaces. The head, consisting of a flattened disk, features two recessed eyes and short horizontal incisions that outline the facial features. A particularly long neck extends from the narrow torso, while the arms curve into two lateral loops from which several metal pieces hang: wide, rounded, paddle-shaped strips; elongated, folded elements; and twisted rods ending in spirals. The legs, spread apart and slightly bent, end in flat feet resting on a display base separate from the sculpture itself. The surface, rough and irregular, combines shades of dark brown, gray, and orange resulting from oxidation; however, this condition alone does not allow for the determination of the sculpture’s age. From an ethnological and historical perspective, the attribution points to the metallurgical traditions of Adamawa, where artisans produced both agricultural tools and objects of prestige and ceremony, thereby linking their craftsmanship to economic activities and religious practices. Here, the presence of pendants that could clang together suggests a possible auditory dimension, complementing the human representation. The work is attributed to the Vere (Verre) people of the Adamawa region in northeastern Nigeria, whose settlement area extends south of Yola to the Nigerian-Cameroonian border region. Metallurgy holds particular significance in their material culture; Vere blacksmiths crafted not only everyday objects but also prestige items, jewelry, and ritual objects. Iron also held economic value in the wider Adamawa and Benue regions and circulated in the form of iron currencies. The unusual anthropomorphic design of this piece suggests a representative or ritual character. Literature (selection): Berns / Fardon / Kasfir (eds.): Central Nigeria Unmasked. Los Angeles 2011. Richard Fardon: Between God, the Dead and the Wild. Edinburgh 1990. Philip M. Peek (ed.): African Folklore: An Encyclopedia. New York 2004. 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. MAZ29712 Informant Amadou Dogo
Estimate:$168.55
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