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HOME :
African & Tribal Art :
Nok, Katsina, Sokoto : Nok Terracotta Bust of a Woman
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Nok Terracotta Bust of a Woman - PF.5764
Origin: Northern Nigeria
Circa: 500
BC
to 200
AD
Dimensions:
13" (33.0cm) high
x 6.25" (15.9cm) wide
Collection: African
Medium: Terracotta
$9,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
The artifacts of the ancient Nok people are
among the oldest sculptures found in Africa
outside of Egypt. Because their existence was not
even know until archaeological expeditions in the
1940’s, almost nothing is known of their
customs or culture. However, through recent
finds, we can determine the expanse of their
civilization and the unity of their artistic style.
Typical of much later black African art, there is
an emphasis placed on the head. The pupils,
nostrils, and ear canals have all been depicted by
a series of carved holes. This woman has an
elaborate coiffure: her hair has been pulled back
and gathered into a series of five mounds, one
crowning the top of her head and the other four
in the back. Her eyes are almond-shaped,
characteristic of the Nok style. She grits her teeth
in a menacing gaze. Careful attention has been
paid to her jewelry. Her neck is covered in a
series of bands that cover the tops of her
shoulders and fall just above her diminutive
breasts. The boundaries of the form are
completely cylindrical, as if the Nok sculptural
tradition developed from wood and ivory
carvings and was transferred to pottery with little
experimentation outside the traditional contours.
This extraordinary sculpture is the resounding
echo of a great culture whose cry has been
silenced by time.
- (PF.5764)
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