Angas statue - Lot 35

Angas statue Benue River, Nigeria Wood H. 63 cm Provenance: - Alain Dufour - Galerie Afrique, Saint-Maur Ramatuelle, France (2017) Known in particular for their bronze coins and wooden human figures, the Angas, numbering around 400,000, live in central Nigeria, in the Plateau region. Oral tradition has it that the Angas originated in the Borno region of northeastern Nigeria. Their ancestors may be Jukun, although linguistic studies tend to disprove this hypothesis. This female statue features a very long body. Very long arms frame a narrow trunk, punctuated by a small, drooping chest and a prominent navel. The legs are slightly bent, ending in feet with clearly detailed toes. Although the ornamentation of the body is reduced to its simplest expression, two incised triangles meet at the throat and belly.