Overview
A terracotta bust in the Nok tradition of Nigeria, showing a figure wearing a wide, brimmed cap. One arm is raised to the side of the head and the other is bent against the body. The face has round pierced eyes and an open, pierced mouth, and a raised collar circles the neck. On the back there is a round break scar, and incised cross-hatched and vertical lines run down the side and back. The coarse orange clay is full of small white mineral grains, which gives the surface a speckled, granular look. It is mounted on a black wood stand and suits a shelf, console, desk or a collection of African terracotta.
About Age and Authenticity
This piece comes from a collection lot (ex Barnes) in which a companion piece was thermoluminescence (TL) tested by Artemis Testing Lab in February 2021, with an estimated age of about 2,200 years (±350). This piece itself has not been tested. We make no claim about its age and sell it as is. Buyers are welcome to arrange their own TL testing.
Background
The Nok culture flourished in central Nigeria from roughly 1500 BCE to 500 CE and is known for some of the earliest figurative terracotta sculpture in sub-Saharan Africa. Nok figures often show pierced eyes and mouths, and many wear caps, bands or elaborate hairstyles. This bust is a fragment of a larger figure and is unmarked. It is from an ex Barnes collection batch (Jerald Barnes, an American collector who lived in West Africa for over a decade).
Condition
A fragment broken from a larger figure. It has old breaks that have been repaired and are stable, with visible lines around the neck collar, down the right side and at the lower front. Filler has been used where the figure joins the stand. The surface is weathered and granular, with earth deposits in the recesses, and the stand shows light scuffs and clay dust. Please see all photos.
Dimensions & Weight
The figure alone is about 8 inches high, 5 inches wide and 4 inches deep (H x W x D). The figure and stand together weigh about 4 lb 1.8 oz.
Shipping
Free standard shipping within the US, packed securely.
