一件青铜雕塑 - Yoruba - 尼日利亚 (没有保留价)

Yoruba Bronze Figure “Iwana Ogun”, Nigeria
Nigeria, Ekiti region, Yoruba
Bronze / copper alloy, incl stand.

A tall and exceptionally slender cast bronze figure attributed to the Yoruba of the Akure region in southwestern Nigeria. The original designation, “Sculpture Bronze Yoruba ‘Iwana ogun’, région Akure, Nigeria,” provides both a more precise geographical attribution and the recorded name “Iwana Ogun.” This information replaces the earlier attribution to the broader Ekiti region and should be retained as part of the object's documented identification.

The principal figure is conceived as an elongated vertical composition in which the human body, elaborate headdress and complex assemblage of subsidiary figures and attributes form an almost continuous ornamental structure. The extreme attenuation of the body gives the sculpture a striking linear quality.

The figure stands upright on relatively small feet, with the lower body forming a narrow column from which the torso rises. The arms are sharply bent at the elbows and held close to the body, producing a pronounced symmetrical rhythm when viewed from the front.

The head forms one of the principal visual centers of the composition. Large projecting eyes, a long narrow nose and pronounced lips give the face an emphatic expression. The lower face is surrounded by projecting elements that create a beard-like, fringed or beaded structure. Related projections extend laterally from the head and contribute to the elaborate silhouette.

Above the head rises an extraordinary elongated headdress. Its lower portion continues the vertical axis of the face, while two twisted or braided elements rise upward and join to form a tall loop. Seen in profile, this structure acquires an almost horn-like appearance. The exceptional height of the headdress substantially contributes to the unusual proportions of the sculpture.

The torso is densely articulated with necklaces, straps and pendant elements. Particularly noteworthy are the smaller anthropomorphic and possibly zoomorphic forms attached to or emerging from the principal figure. A small head or figure appears beside the upper torso, while additional sculptural elements cluster around the waist and lower body. These subsidiary forms transform the work from an isolated human representation into a complex multi-figural assemblage.

The lower section is particularly intricate. Additional cast elements occupy the spaces between and alongside the legs, including a smaller anthropomorphic or pendant form. Depending on the viewing angle, these components overlap visually with the principal figure and create a dense openwork construction, demonstrating the technical possibilities of lost-wax casting.

The recorded designation “Iwana Ogun” is especially noteworthy because Ogun occupies a major position in Yoruba religious thought as the òrìṣà associated with iron, metalworking, technological knowledge, warfare, hunting and the transformative power of tools. Metal objects associated with Ogun can consequently acquire meanings extending well beyond their material value. Nevertheless, the precise relationship between the recorded term “Iwana Ogun” and the iconography of this particular sculpture requires caution, and the designation should be preserved as supplied rather than treated as a definitive identification of the represented figure as Ogun himself.

The Akure attribution provides a more precise cultural and geographical context. Akure is an important Yoruba center in present-day Ondo State, and the region participates in the broader diversity of Yoruba artistic and religious traditions. Yoruba metalworking includes objects created for shrines, ritual specialists, rulers and other contexts of religious and social authority.

The elaborate headdress, numerous pendants and subsidiary figures suggest an emphasis on status, spiritual potency or complex relationships between the principal figure and accompanying beings or attributes. In Yoruba visual culture, the significance of such elements often depends upon their combination and ritual context rather than upon a single isolated motif. Without documentation concerning the object's original setting, the identities of the smaller figures and their relationship to the principal figure remain uncertain.

Of particular sculptural interest is the contrast between the narrow profile and the extraordinarily elaborate frontal appearance. Viewed laterally, the sculpture becomes almost linear, dominated by the projecting face, bent arms and towering looped headdress. From the front, the numerous ornaments, subsidiary figures and projecting elements create a considerably denser image.

The casting displays deliberate irregularities and variations in modelling that contribute to the vitality of the surface. The metal ranges from brown and dark brown to golden-bronze tones, accompanied by localized green oxidation and lighter deposits. Areas of wear and surface accretion are visible, particularly around the lower portion and projecting details. The sculpture is mounted on a separate display stand.

The recorded Akure provenance and the designation “Iwana Ogun” provide important information for further study.

Literature:

William B. Fagg, Yoruba: Sculpture of West Africa, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1982.

Henry John Drewal, John Pemberton III and Rowland Abiodun, Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought, Center for African Art, New York, 1989.

Robert Farris Thompson, Black Gods and Kings: Yoruba Art at UCLA, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1971.

Frank Willett, African Art: An Introduction, Thames & Hudson, London, 1971.

Some of the information and photos are generated by artificial intelligence and is based on published sources from the fields of ethnography, archaeology, and art history documents. All information and photos are protected by copyright.

Inv. No. MAZ29059

Legal Framework

Under the 1970 UNESCO Convention in combination with the Kulturgutschutz Gesetz (KGSG) any claim for the restitution of cultural property becomes time-barred three years after the competent authorities of the State of origin obtain knowledge of the object’s location and the identity of its possessor.
All bronzes and terracotta items offered have been publicly exhibited in Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery since 2001. Organisations such as DIGITAL BENIN and academic institutions such as the Technical University of Berlin, which have been intensively involved in restitution-reseaches (translocation-project) over the past seven years, are aware of our work, have inspected large parts of our collection and have visited us in our dependance in Lomé, Togo, among other places, to learn about the international Art trade on site. Furthermore, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in Abuja, Nigeria, has been informed about our collection. In no case in the past have there been restitution claims against private institutions such as the Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery

Our Gallery addresses these structural challenges through a policy of maximum transparency and documentation. Should any questions or uncertainties arise, we invite you to contact us. Each matter will be reviewed diligently using all available resources.