A wooden sculpture - Adangme - Ghana (No reserve price)

Adangme Figurine Pair - Tema Region, Ghana These two wooden figurines embody a striking reduction of the human form to elementary geometric shapes. Slender necks and large, oval heads rise above elongated, almost cylindrical bodies. The faces are reduced to a few features: narrow, horizontally incised eyes, barely suggested noses, and small indentations in the ear area. The arms lie close to the body and taper to points; legs and feet are absent as independent formal elements. A dark gray paint, interrupted in places by light, chalky deposits, covers the surfaces. The slight difference in height and proportion lends the pair a quiet, almost dialogical expression. The Adangme, also called Dangme, live in southeastern Ghana, particularly in the coastal region around Tema and Ada. In their religious traditions, carved figurines play an important role as material representations of spiritual forces. Small Aklama figurines, often found in pairs, can serve as embodiments of personal guardian and helping spirits. The present pair can be formally linked to this tradition. Whether it was actually used as an Aklama or originates from another shrine context remains unclear without further provenance information. Literature (selection): Nii O. Quarcoopome et al.: Aklama: Helper Spirits of the Ewe and Dangme. Studienstiftung Horst Antes, 2016. Herbert M. Cole / Doran H. Ross: The Arts of Ghana. Los Angeles 1977. Suzanne Preston Blier: African Vodun: Art, Psychology, and Power. Chicago 1995. 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. MAZ30515 Informant: Tague Height: 66 cm / 62 cm Weight: 2,1 kg / 1,7 kg (incl. stand)

Estimate:$363.87

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