West African Bura Culture Stone Head Stele | Stylized Face with Forked

West Africa, present day Niger and Burkina Faso, Bura-Asinda-Sikka area, ca. 1300 to 1500 CE. A hand-carved stone funerary idol with a columnar body, wide lateral projections, and a tall head in the shape of a spade. The highly-stylized face is composed of circular eyes with slit-form pupils, pouty lips, concave cheeks, and a tall, crested nose which forks at the top and forms the curved eye brows. A wide band of diagonal diamonds are incised around the neck. Unfortunately, little is known about the culture that lived in this area when this statue was made, because it was only recently discovered and there have been very few scientific excavations. What has been found are large cemeteries with impressive necropoli, which provide evidence that this was a wealthy, complex society. They buried their dead in conical urns, often topped with figures like this one. Size: 5.7" W x 14.3" H (14.5 cm x 36.3 cm); 14.5" H (36.8 cm) on included custom stand. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 202948

Estimate:£168.19

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