Rare figural sculpture "izemize"
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Lot: 233
Online AuctionRare figural sculpture "izemize"
Nigeria, Ishan (Esan)
| Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| Private Collection, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (since around 1969) |
H: 62.6 inch; B: 22.4 inch |
800 EUR
plus 27 % commission, VAT, transport and insurance |
heavy wood, repainted
An object with the same motif published in the AHDRC, no. 0096080. A second comparable object from the Jerome Joss Collection, is in the Fowler Museum, UCLA, USA (AHDRC 0096081).
According to Picton, these carvings, perhaps together with figural carved posts, may have been used to decorate homes of wealthy men or dignitaries.
The present object, as well as the other two sculptures, is similar to figuratively carved veranda pillars, captured on a photograph by Allison in 1960 in Iubiadan-Emu. Allison assigns the figural posts to the Ishan communities in the northeast of the Kingdom of Benin and north of Agbor. The figures are said to be called "izemize" - "human figure that cannot speak".
Ishan is the anglicised form of "Esan", that people of this community originally called themselves. The name is derived from "esanfua" - "those who have fled". For many Ishan communities trace their ancestry back to the people who once left the kingdom of Benin to avoid repression or escape justice there.
