Ofo n'dichi sculpture - Lot 37

Ofo n'dichi sculpture Anambra Valley, Nigeria Wood and iron H. 74 cm Provenance: - Galerie L'Accrosonge/Claudie Lebas, Paris, France, 2001 Bibliography: - Ofo, Galerie l'Accrosonge, Editions Rage, Paris, 2001 The term "ofo" designates both a sacred tree (Detarium Elastica) and the branches that grow from it, as well as the cult objects carved from this wood. Widespread in the Anambra River region, a tributary of the Niger bordering north-western Igbo country, these highly symbolic sculptures were used in a variety of rituals. They were considered to be mediums between man and divinities, man and ancestors, and man and man. Symbols of justice and righteousness, they were guarantors of morality and respect for Igbo rules and traditions. Imbued with great strength, this Ofo represents a highly stylized man, his body reduced to its simplest representation, the wood wrapped in a metal mesh.