Tribal Art

Unusual composition for this urhobo statue, depicting a creature with a zoomorphic appearance, aggressive in appearance, flanked at the back by a long neck and a head with minimalist features. Brown matte patina, low contrast pigmented highlights. Very minor chips and cracks.
The Urhobo, near the northwest of the Niger Delta River, form the main ethnic group in Delta State among the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They speak Urhobo, a language of the Niger-Congo group. Together with the closely related Isoko, they are collectively known as Sobo. Their large sculptures representing the spirits of nature, edjo, or founding ancestors of the clan, to whom sacrifices were offered, were grouped together in sanctuaries within the villages. They also produce figures similar to the ikenga of the Igbo called iphri, half-animal half-human in shape. They personify male aggression and are intended for warriors and notables. However, after consultation with the diviner, young children can also wear miniature iphri in the form of geometric amulets, attached to their necks.