Africa, Northern Nigeria, Nok, ca. 500 BCE to 600 CE. Among the oldest terracotta sculpture from Sub-Saharan Africa, a characteristically hollow Nok bust with a beguiling countenance. Although every Nok head is unique in some way, this head displays all the telltale characteristics of the classical Nok style - an enlarged haughty head, high smooth forehead, wide set eyes with perforated pupils, boldly delineated lids, and an intriguing coiffure. This piece also shows us part of the figure's body, with both arms falling to his sides from sloped shoulders topped by a thick collar necklace. The form was hand-built by a coil building technique and details were attained via a subtractive technique - scraping away from the surface to create a sophisticated visage comprised of wonderfully geometric lines. The creator of this piece originally adorned it with slip and fired it to attain a smooth texture. As is the case with most surviving Nok sculpture, this slip has worn away leaving a charming form, nonetheless. A remarkable example! Size: 8" L x 6" W x 15" H (20.3 cm x 15.2 cm x 38.1 cm)

Classical Nok terracotta sculpture was first found in 1943 deep within a tin mine, near the present-day town of Nok, situated on the Jos Plateau in central Nigeria. The exact use of these portrait-like figures has yet to be discovered; none of these sculptures has ever been found in situ and any remains of these ancient structures are practically non-existent today. However, it has been suggested the hollow terracotta figures, which this head came from, were ancestral effigies kept in shrine houses.

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report is available to the buyer upon request.

Provenance: private Pasadena, California, USA collection

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#164681

Missing lower body and losses to chest. Repaired form at least 4 pieces with break lines visible. Some losses along break lines. Expected surface wear with nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with lovely earthen deposits in areas. TL drill holes on bottom of torso and back of head.