O'BYRNE COLLECTION - Lot 100

O'BYRNE COLLECTION Ekoï Crest Nigeria Wood H. 40.5 cm - W. 15 cm - D. 20 cm Provenance Hélène and Philippe Leloup, Paris O'Byrne Collection Publication Cole, H., Aniakor, C., Igbo arts: community and cosmos, Los Angeles, 1984, p.179, fig.296 Ekoi crest featuring an expressive human head adorned with a superb, partially composite headdress: a triple crest overhangs a double row of cascading braids. The front of the headdress is composed of wooden "nails" with spherical heads and two braids framing the face. The face's surface is punctuated by concentric scarification circles and two dark dots painted under the eyes. The diamond-shaped mouth reveals the teeth. A quadruped is attached to the nape of the neck. Large size and good age.