Mumuye Statue - Jalingo Region, Benue Valley, Nigeria, incl stand. The towering wooden figure derives its power from a captivating interplay of solid mass and empty space. A slender, column-like torso rises above strong, angularly broken legs. The exceptionally long arms extend far from the body, forming two sweeping arcs before the delicately articulated hands return to the body's axis. A long neck supports the small head with its protruding mouth, geometrically simplified features, and tall, helmet-like hairdo. Incised lines on the shoulders and body add understated ornamental accents. The dark brown, irregularly worn surface emphasizes the wood's sculptural strength. The sculpture belongs to the Mumuye tradition of northeastern Nigeria, whose main area of ​​distribution is in present-day Taraba State around Jalingo and in the upper Benue Valley. Museum collections document the radical elongation, ribbon-like arms, and the deliberate use of negative space as characteristic features of this extraordinarily diverse sculpture. Mumuye figures could fulfill various functions: they served, among other things, as protective figures and in divination and healing; some works even fulfilled multiple functions. Literature (selection): Marla C. Berns / Richard Fardon / Sidney L. Kasfir (eds.): Central Nigeria Unmasked. Los Angeles 2011. Frank Herreman / Constantijn Petridis: Mumuye: Sculpture from Nigeria. Milan 2016. Philip Fry: “Essai sur la statuaire Mumuye”. Objets et Mondes 10/1, 1970. Inv. No. MAZ26573 Informant: Mr Congo