Pair of Igbo-Izi sculptures (Nigeria) - Lot 126

Pair of Igbo-Izi sculptures (Nigeria) Wood. H. 144 and 149 cm Rare and important pair of figures of nature spirits or divinities depicted standing. The female figure sports a classic multi-shelled headdress and a scarified abdomen. Her arms are stretched forward, palms turned towards the heavens as if in offering. His strongly sexed male counterpart also has arms outstretched, left hand palm upwards. turned upwards. The right hand was originally intended to hold a weapon or scepter. His head is topped with a kind of colonial helmet, a symbol of power symbol of power adopted by the indigenous populations since the beginning of colonization. Note that the particular style of the faces is identical to that of the heads heads sculpted on the back of many "ogbodo enyi" elephant masks used by Igbo-Izi groups. Provenance : - Former Roger Azar collection (Paris) - Sale Maîtres Lombrail et Teucquam Paris Hôtel Drouot September 30, 2002 n° 76 - Featured in the "Nixeria" exhibition Auditorio de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela March 4 - May 28, 1995, under no. 67. Bibliography: - Cole & Aniakor, "Igbo Arts: Community and Cosmos" Los Angeles 1984 page 97 for another rare pairing of this type. of this typology. - Reproduced in François Neyt: "Elephant mask and Igbo statuary" in Arts d'Afrique No. 32 (Winter 1979) page 42. - Reproduced in the catalog written by François Neyt and Ramon Sarro page 115, of the exhibition "Nixeria" Auditorio de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela March 4 - May 28, 1995