Standing male figure "ihambe"
Click here to view a larger version of the image
Lot: 224
91 Tribal Art AuctionStanding male figure "ihambe"
Nigeria, Tiv
| Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
|---|---|---|
| Martien Coppens, Eindhoven, The Netherlands | H: 36.2 inch | sold |
wood, base
"Ihambe" figures are set up individually or as a group in front of the family compound. The figures are closely associated with the senior wife/mother of the house. When the latter dies, the responsiblity for the figure/s devolves to the daughter-in-law.
Regarding their function there are different approaches. Some see them as incarnations of ancestors. Fagg calls them a kind of "tutelary village guardians" serving to protect the land and its fertility. Sieber recognizes that there is a symbolic relationship to manhood and virility. A mixture of all these functions seems to be correct.
Neyt, Francois, The Arts of the Benue, Michigan 1985, p. 162, ill. IV.1 ff.
Coppens, Martien, Negro sculpture, Amsterdam 1975, ill. 160
