Accession Number1983/2.175
TitleSeated Figure
Artist(s)Object Creation Datecirca 1950Medium & SupportterracottaDimensions 9 3/8 in x 5 7/16 in x 4 13/16 in (23.8 cm x 13.8 cm x 12.3 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Stewart PinsofSubject matterNtekpe, or ‘children of the shrine’, are figures placed in Igbo family shrines by women dealing with infertility. Within this context, the figure becomes both an offering and a display of the desire for children. Usually made by older women, these figures often feature a single mother and child or a male and female pair. It is possible this figure was at one time part of a pair, now separated from its female counterpart. Further research is needed to understand other meanings or uses for this figure.
References Cited:
Cole, Herbert M. and Chike C. Aniakor. 1984.
Igbo Arts: Community and Cosmos. Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History.
LaGamma, Alisa. 2000. "Art and Oracle: Spirit Voices of Africa."
African Arts 33.1: 52-69.
LaGamma, Alisa and John Pemberton. 2000.
Art and Oracle: African Art and Rituals of Divination. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Physical DescriptionSeated male figure on a stool, holding a gun or rifle in one hand.
Primary Object Classification Sculpture Primary Object TypefigureCollection AreaAfricanRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
Figures
deities
men (male humans)
nudes
rifle
seated
shrines (structures)