Chamba Ancestor Statue, Nigeria

Statue presenting a standing male figure. The arms are spread out from the body, the stomach is rounded with a prominent navel. The genitals are imposing and show the importance of the lineage. A line of scarifications starts from the navel and goes to the neck. We then find it on the nasal bridge. The eyes are deep cavities and suggest that perhaps pearls or seeds were embedded there to accentuate the look. The ears are oval shaped but we can see that on the right one a piece is missing. The patina covered the break. The head is topped with a conical hairstyle. This statue offers us a very beautiful construction. The lines are strong and very harmonious.
Chamba people, Nigeria
Wood with a beautiful thick patina of use, erosion, minor losses.
Height: 34.5 cm
First half of the 20th century.
Former French collection