A Yoruba Sango female sculpture, sitting on q stool placed on a wooden base, two smaller figures places on both her sides, she places her hands on top of their heads, her bust is upright, her large head is ornamented with the double-axe (opa) headdress, her hair has traces of washing blue coloring, her features are quite emphasized with bulging eyes, traces of scarification on her cheeks, carved white bracelets on her wrists, she also wears a pink necklace; sacrificial patina, cracks in the wooden base, glossy by use.

"The Yoruba are the largest cultural group on the African continent, with nearly 40 million people. The word ‘Yoruba’ describes both the language and a tribe living across Nigeria and the Popular Republic of Benin, in an area of forest and savannah.
The Yoruba people’s primary living space is South-West Nigeria with substantial Yoruba communities in Benin, Togo and Sierra Leone but they are not bound by state or country borders. This area is often referred to as “Yorubaland”. Most of the terrain is either forest, woodland savannah, rich farmland or coastal swamps and lagoons.
The origin of the Yoruba people in Nigeria is heavily debated. Some believe they came from the east in Mecca, some say from the north in Egypt. Evidence shows that ethnically, Yoruba’s have been in the area known as Yorubaland since the 7th century BC. Scholars believe the area was probably inhabited earlier by peoples of the Nok culture. Yorubaland covers the modern-day countries of Nigeria, Togo and Benin. The term Yoruba to describe ethnicity, did not come about until the 16th century and wasn’t widely used until the 19th century. Before then, the Yoruba people were known by many names depending on who was acknowledging them. For instance, the Europeans referred to them as Akú, whereas in Cuba, they were referred to as O luku mi."

Source: Discover African Art.

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Height: 37 cm
Weight: 1,1 kg