{"product_id":"nok-terracotta-dog-head-bared-teeth-on-stand-ex-barnes-3in-age-untested","title":"Nok Terracotta Dog Head Bared Teeth on Stand Ex Barnes 3in - Age Untested","description":"\u003ch3\u003eOverview\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA small terracotta animal head in the Nok tradition of Nigeria, which appears to show a dog. The head has a long muzzle with an open mouth, a row of incised teeth along the upper jaw and a tongue resting on the lower lip. The round eyes are pierced and framed by raised, arched lids, and the nostrils at the tip of the muzzle are also pierced. A raised ear sits at the back of the head, and incised lines run along the cheeks and jaw. The coarse orange clay is full of small white mineral grains, which gives the surface a speckled, granular look. It is mounted on a slim metal stand with a round base and suits a shelf, desk or a collection of African terracotta.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Age and Authenticity\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBackground\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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. Most known Nok sculptures show human figures, and animal subjects are seen less often. Nok works typically have pierced eyes, nostrils and mouths. This head is a fragment of a larger piece 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).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fragment broken from a larger piece, with an open break at the neck. A wire hoop around the neck holds it on the stand. The surface is weathered and granular, with earth deposits in the eyes, nostrils and teeth, and a few small pale blue-white marks on the face. No repairs are visible. Please see all photos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDimensions \u0026amp; Weight\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe head alone is about 3 x 2 x 1.4 inches (H x W x D), and about 5.5 inches high on its stand. The head and stand together weigh about 5.4 oz.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eShipping\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFree standard shipping within the US, packed securely.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Belle Afrik Arts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":60392763097374,"sku":"BA-1512","price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1081\/5176\/7326\/files\/WhatsAppImage2026-10-20at16.58.45.jpg?v=1792533970","url":"https:\/\/belleafrikarts.com\/products\/nok-terracotta-dog-head-bared-teeth-on-stand-ex-barnes-3in-age-untested","provider":"Belle Afrik Arts","version":"1.0","type":"link"}