Rare anthropomorphic hut pilaster - Lot 24

Rare anthropomorphic hut pilaster Tiv culture, northern Benue, Nigeria Hardwood with old patina H. 170 cm Provenance: Galerie Ousmane, Lomé, Togo - Galerie Ousmane, Lomé, Togo - Private collection, Paris In 1982, Father François Neyt recounted what was for him an important discovery for the history of art in this region: "During a hike in a Tiv village north of the Bénoué, we were surprised to discover in-situ anthropomorphic poles. Our exploration had taken us to the village of Guda Kaseya on the road to Daudu. These posts were part of a set of pillars holding up the roof of a disused reception hut. Each of these pillars features a long, anthropomorphic figure, arms clasped to the body. According to the village chief, who is in his fifties, this hut had been erected by his father, the village's "man of reference", in a way the judge and chief. The sculptor of these statues is said to have come from the south of Tiv country, probably around Gboko (...)". According to Ousmane, a renowned Lomé antique dealer, who discovered this beautiful, ghostly-looking sculpture, it came from the planned destruction of the village's old reception hut.