Statue of a Chamba ancestor - Nigeria

Origin. Nigeria
Tribe name. Chamba
Material. Wood
Dimension. 60 cm
Shipping method. Colissimo in 24-48h

This Chamba statue presents as a masculine anthropomorphic figure carved in wood, of a very slender form and strongly stylized. The sculpture is constructed according to simple geometry: a voluminous head, a narrow torso, an elongated abdomen and two straight, separated legs.
The head, particularly expressive, is topped by a headdress or conical cap with a central crest. The face is treated in a schematic way: circular eyes, a projected nose, the mouth indicated by a horizontal incision, and protruding side ears. A tied element around the neck, which appears to be a band of cloth or fiber, constitutes a distinct addition to the sculpture proper.
The body is frontal and almost symmetrical. The shoulders are angular, while the arms, brought forward, frame a prominent belly. The male sex is indicated. The legs, long and relatively short compared to the trunk, end without detailed representation of the feet.
The wood shows an irregular dark brown patina, with lighter areas due to wear, erosion, or loss of material. The numerous marks, cracks and abrasions visible presumably attest to the object's age and/or its use.
Stylistically, this work can be linked to Chamba statuary from Nigeria and Cameroon, in which the human figure is frequently simplified and accentuated by geometric volumes. However, a single photograph does not allow us to determine with certainty the origin, ritual function, dating, or authenticity of this piece. For a catalog entry, it would therefore be prudent to distinguish what is directly observable from what belongs to attribution.