Mumuye statue - Lot 31

Mumuye statue Nigeria Wood H. 53 cm Provenance: - Former Edward Klejman collection, France - Former Valentine Plisnier collection, France Publication: - African Arts, Volume XVIII - N° 4 - August 1985, p. 89 Bibliography: - Frank Herreman, Mumuyé, sculptures du Nigeria, La figure humaine réinventée, Ed. 5 Continents, Paris, 2016. Mumuye statues were used for divination, healing and combating drought. They also protected homes and reinforced the status of important ancestors. Ranging in size from 30 cm to 1 m and beyond, these sculptures display great formal diversity, characterized by an astonishing number of variations on the dynamic interplay between the complexity of angular forms and the space in which they evolve. Mumuye statuary is considered one of the most inventive expressions of African art. Here, the stylized head is distinguished by the originality of its cut. The top of the skull is punctuated by small vertical incisions. Large ears gently unfurl along the face. The eyes are large and round, while the nose is tapered. The lower part of the nose is pierced to accommodate an ornamental stick, which has now disappeared. The discreet mouth follows in the wake of the nasal septum. The body is powerful. Beneath broad shoulders, a cylindrical torso is framed by strong, muscular arms. Surprisingly robust, they are delicately adorned with horizontal scarring. The hands are turned towards the prominent umbilicus. In the center of the hips, a female sex is slightly outlined. The highly schematized legs are modeled in a skilful juxtaposition of planes, playing on successive zigzagging rhythms. This strikingly modern work is a powerful testimony to the creativity of Mumuye sculptors.