Arte

Decorazioni d'interni

Gioielli e pietre preziose

Orologi da polso, penne e accendini

Moda

Monete e francobolli

Fumetti e animazione

Auto d’epoca, moto d’epoca e automobilia

Vino, whisky e liquori

Arte asiatica e tribale

Carte collezionabili

Giocattoli e modellini

Archeologia e storia naturale

Sport

Musica, film e fotocamere

Libri e cimeli storici

Gli oggetti più raffinati scelti per te da {name}

Julien Gauthier

An Igala shrine figure, collected in the Ivwri region of the southern Delta region of Nigeria. Signs of ritual use an dage; some visible insect damage.

Igala shrine figures form part of the ritual and artistic traditions of the Igala people of central Nigeria, whose territory is situated at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers. Closely related linguistically and culturally to their neighbors, the Idoma, Ebira, and Jukun, the Igala have historically occupied a region marked by a high degree of interethnic contact and artistic exchange. Their sculptural practices reflect this pluralism, while retaining distinct formal and ritual characteristics rooted in Igala cosmology.

The primary function of Igala shrine figures is to serve as mediatory representations of spiritual entities. These include ancestral spirits, nature forces, and protective deities connected to lineages, villages, or professional guilds. Such figures are housed in private or communal shrines and activated through libations, offerings, and periodic rituals. Their purpose is to safeguard individuals and communities, promote fertility and prosperity, and ensure alignment with the will of the spirits or ancestors.

The figures are typically carved from wood and range in size from small handheld objects to life-size representations. They are characterized by their strong verticality, frontal symmetry, and abstracted naturalism. Heads are often enlarged relative to the body, underscoring the symbolic seat of identity and perception in West African art. Facial features are simplified and geometric, with arched eyebrows, pointed chins, and deeply set eyes that create a solemn or otherworldly expression. The body is compact, with arms often positioned at the sides or resting on the abdomen, and legs rendered either as short stumps or in a rigid seated posture. Scarification marks, hairstyles, and body adornments—when present—convey status, gender, or ritual role.

Polychromy is a notable feature in some examples, with figures painted in red, white, black, or blue pigments. These colors carry spiritual and symbolic meanings within the Igala religious framework. White, associated with purity and ancestral presence, is often applied to faces or torsos, while red may suggest vitality or sacrificial potency. Over time, the surfaces of shrine figures acquire patina from ritual use, including the application of palm oil, blood, or chalk.

Unlike more hierarchical artistic systems such as those of the Yoruba or Benin, Igala sculpture often reflects a decentralized ritual logic. Figures are not generally used as royal icons but are tied to clan-based religious practices. Nonetheless, the Attah of Igala—the sacred king—has traditionally held a sacral position in relation to the spirit world, and court-linked shrines may include sculptural elements that echo those found in village contexts, though with more elaborate iconography or scale.

Because the Igala region has historically served as a cultural crossroads, their shrine figures also show formal affinities with neighboring traditions. Some resemble the vertical and stylized forms of Idoma or Jukun sculpture, while others incorporate elements associated with Nupe or Ebira aesthetics. This visual hybridity complicates attribution but also reflects the permeability of spiritual and artistic boundaries in central Nigeria.

Documentation of Igala shrine figures has been historically limited, with much of the material entering Western collections through early 20th-century colonial or missionary networks without detailed contextual records. The absence of a sustained tradition of art historical scholarship on Igala visual culture has further obscured these figures’ significance. Nevertheless, recent comparative research has begun to situate Igala sculpture within a broader regional framework of Middle Belt ritual art, highlighting its contributions to Nigerian religious and artistic pluralism.

Igala shrine figures remain active in local ritual contexts, though their production has declined due to the influence of Christianity and Islam, as well as broader economic and social transformations. In some cases, older figures are preserved within families as heirlooms, while others have been retired or repurposed. Despite these shifts, the sculptural tradition continues to inform the ways in which identity, memory, and spirituality are expressed in Igala society.

References:

Fagg, William. Nigerian Images. London: Lund Humphries, 1963.

Siegmann, William C. “The Sculpture of the Middle Benue.” African Arts Vol. 9, No. 3 (1976): 42–49.

Cole, Herbert M. Icons: Ideals and Power in the Art of Africa. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989.

Willett, Frank. African Art. London: Thames and Hudson, 1971.

Boston, John. The Igala Kingdom. Zaria: Ahmadu Bello University Press, 1968.

Ben-Amos, Paula. “The Promise of Greatness: Art and Social Change in Nigeria.” African Arts Vol. 23, No. 3 (1990): 60–71.

Legno - Discrete condizioni

A Wood sculpture - Igala - Nigeria  (Senza Prezzo di Riserva)

Arte tribale e africana

Prezzo di riserva

Nessun prezzo di riserva

Acquista subito

Data di chiusura

domenica

sabato

oggi

domani

giovedì

7 gennaio

11 gennaio

venerdì

Budget

Ubicazione

Francia

Belgio

Germania

Spagna

Paesi Bassi

Italia

Portogallo

Lussemburgo

Austria

Grecia

Svizzera

Polonia

Slovacchia

Dimensioni

Altezza

Larghezza

Profondità

Oggetto

Arte e oggetti tribali

Sculture, statue, statuine e intagli tribali

Maschere tribali

Statuetta

Maschera da ballo

Scultura

Abbigliamento e tessuti tribali

Pugnale

Armi e scudi tribali

Spada

Statua

Gioielli e ornamenti tribali

Giclée

Statuetta di antenato

Reliquiario

Figura feticcio

Scudo

Testa di statuetta

Libro

Dipinto

Vasetto

Tessuto

Spada corta

Arte e oggetti asiatici

Paese d’origine

Nigeria

Costa d’Avorio

Repubblica Democratica del Congo

Mali

Gabon

Congo

Camerun

Africa

Burkina Faso

Benin

Ghana

Togo

Ciad

Tanzania

Angola

Sudafrica

Etiopia

Kenya

Liberia

Marocco

Niger

Algeria

Materiale

Legno

Bronzo

Terracotta

Rame

Ferro (battuto)

Alluminio

Metallo

Osso

Pelle

Vetro

Ferro (ghisa/battuto)

Pietra

Bronzo patinato

Acciaio

Lega

Peli animali

Ottone

Corno

Guscio, conchiglia

Djati

Pelo

Argento

Genere

Unisex

Condizioni

Buone condizioni

Discrete condizioni

In buone condizioni - usato, con piccoli segni dell’età e macchie.

Eccellenti condizioni

Buone

In condizioni discrete - molto usato e con probabili piccoli pezzi mancanti.

In ottime condizioni - usato raramente e con lievi segni di usura e dell’età.

Molto buone

Come nuovo - mai usata

In buone condizioni - usato, con piccoli segni dell’età.

Eccellenti

In buone condizioni, vedi descrizione

Buone condizioni - usato con alcuni segni di usura

In cattivo stato - molto usato, con ampie crepe, danni o grandi pezzi mancanti.

In discrete condizioni, vedi descrizione

Restauro necessario

Come nuovo

Ottime

Condizioni discrete

Eccellenti condizioni - usato raramente con minimi segni di usura

Ottime condizioni - leggermente usato con piccoli segni di usura

Discrete condizioni - usato con visibili segni di usura

Vintage - usato con visibili segni di usura

Accessori

Supporto

Nessun extra

Tavole fuori testo

Periodo

Fine XX secolo

2000-2010

metà del XX secolo

1930-1940

1940-1950

Inizio XX secolo

1950-1960

1920-1930

2020+

1900-1910

1960-1970

1980-1990

1990-2000

1910-1920

2010-2020

1970-1980

1850-1900

Fine XIX secolo

1750-1800

XX secolo

Inizio XIX secolo

Certificato

Nessuna perizia di laboratorio

Soggetto

Arte e cultura tribali

Oceania

Interesse regionale

Scena diurna

Antropologia

Archeologia

Arte applicata (design)

Illustrati

Topografia (geografia)

Viaggio / Esplorazioni

Stile

Antico

Dell’Asia antica

Pop Art

Arte popolare

Arts & Crafts

Contemporaneo

Achemenide

Art Nouveau

Espressionismo

Impressionismo

Arte naïf

Arte tribale e africana

Questo oggetto non è più disponibile, ma c’è ancora tanto da scoprire

A Wood sculpture - Igala - Nigeria (Senza Prezzo di Riserva)

Popolari in Arte tribale e africana

921 oggetti

Collezioni affini

Cookies

Arte tribale e africana

Questo oggetto non è più disponibile, ma c’è ancora tanto da scoprire

A Wood sculpture - Igala - Nigeria (Senza Prezzo di Riserva)

Popolari in Arte tribale e africana

921 oggetti

Collezioni affini