Female Figure, Chamba People, Nigeria

Statue depicting a standing female figure. The arms are at her sides and the hands are placed on her stomach. The legs are slightly bent and imposing feet accentuate the statue's grip on the ground. The face is ecstatic. The open mouth forms a small hollowed-out rectangle. A summit crest slenderizes the statue. It continues on the forehead and forms a continuity with the nasal bridge. This statue must have been abandoned after use, as it is marked by severe erosion and wood-boring holes. We can see here and there remnants of black patina.
Beautiful presence for this statue which takes us back, by its condition, to the inexorable passage of time.
Eroded wood, wood-boring holes, numerous losses, cracks (a breast and an eye are missing).
Height: 70 cm
Tchamba people, Nigeria, Mid-20th century
Provenance: Galerie Noir d'Ivoire, Paris