240860 - Old African sculpture from the Chamba - Nigeria.
Old African sculpture from the Chamba - Nigeria.
Hand carved from a single piece of wood, including the stand.
size: 49 cm high including the stand and 38 cm without the stand.
This sculpture is from the first half of the 20th century and comes with a certificate of authenticity.
The Chamba people number 20,000 and live south of the Benue River, near the Jukun people. They are socially divided into small kingdoms, each headed by a king, assisted by a council of elders whose powers are regulated by male and female secret societies. This carving is from a tribal elder who uses it as a truth staff. This carving is quite rare because it is often buried with the tribal elder.
The area north of the Niger and Benue rivers includes a mountain range covered with savannah. Archaeological excavations have revealed traces of human activity on the Jos plateau and in the Benue River valley dating back to the Stone Age - 39,000 years ago. Tribes such as the Mumuye, the Chamba, the Jukun, the Wurkun, the Goemai and the Montol live along the Benue River in eastern Nigeria.