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African & Tribal Art :
Nok, Katsina, Sokoto : Nok Terracotta Torso of a Woman
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Nok Terracotta Torso of a Woman - PF.5763
Origin: Nigeria
Circa: 500
BC
to 200
AD
Dimensions:
11.5" (29.2cm) high
x 5" (12.7cm) wide
Collection: African
Medium: Terracotta
Location: United States
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Photo Gallery |
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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.
The stylistic tendencies originated by the Nok
carvers, including the proportional emphasis on
the head and the columnar form of the body,
remain prevalent throughout modern black
African art today.
Although only a fragment of a female torso, it is
clear that we are in the presence of a noble
figure. The attentive details of her elaborate,
beaded jewelry are astonishing. Her shoulders
are almost completely covered in a thick band of
necklaces. Two sashes fall from inbetween her
diminutive breasts and wrap around her sides,
meeting at the back. Her wrists are both
adorned with four beaded bracelets while five
rings of belts cover her waist. The prominence
of the jewelry enforces its importance as a
marker of status and rank. This must have been
a most powerful member of the Nok society,
perhaps a queen. Her private regions, frontal
and posterior, are covered in a woven cloth. The
texture of this garment is perhaps one of the
finest features of this masterpiece. The sculptor
has managed to convey a sense of the individual
stitches, while also indicating the zigzag pattern
that decorates the fabric. The majesty of this
torso is astounding. Although the culture that
created this stunning sculpture has long since
vanished, this woman continues to appear as
beautiful and dignified to our eyes as she must
have in her own time.
- (PF.5763)
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