A Tiv bowlkeeper, Nigeria, carried by two monkeys who are sitting, their feet are touching, the bodies straight up the tail stuck to the back, their mouths are open showing teeth, the top of the head has losange shapes, the bowl is delicately carved showing an excellent craftsman ship, the lid of the bowl is coiffed with a small lizard like animal; in great condition, some signs of use.

“The 1,000,000 Tiv people live from farming fields on the left bank of the Benue River and take their name from their eponymous ancestor. They carve figures which are either large and elongated or naturally proportioned with round heads and occasionally scarification at the corners of the mouth and a crested coiffure. Some of these figures were used as posts for reception huts, while others, called Ihambe, are to linked to the concept of fecundity and marriage. Tiv blacksmiths have achieved notoriety for their ‘prestige’ adzes in which the handle ends in a stylized human head with a blade sprouting from it. These are used during festivities and important meetings. Their metal output also includes small copper figures with splayed legs and rounded heads”

Source: Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998.

sold

Height: 28 cm
Width: 57 cm
Weight: 2,8 kg