The Ibo (also called Igbo) live in south-eastern Nigeria. In their sacred beliefs, they have a rich pantheon with many gods. According to the Ibo, these gods live a very ‘human’ life in their own world: with a family, children etc. These many-figured divine families are represented by the Ibo carvers in sculptures. The sculptures are called ‘Alusi’, and are set up in their own shrines and venerated by worshippers.
The present male ‘Alusi’ figure is carved from hard, light-coloured wood and clearly shows the ‘round’, softer style of the Ibo in their northern area of settlement (the southern Ibo figures are more ‘angular’). This ‘Alusi’ wears a typical tall and wide crested coiffure, as well as characteristic scarification marks, applied in close lines and often diagonally, the so-called ‘ichi’ marks on the forehead, on both temples down to the cheeks. On this figure, these ‘ichi’ scars were originally dyed black. In addition, this figure has patterns of scarification marks on its chest and on both sides of its abdomen. The entire figure shows clear remains of earlier colouring by means of reddish clay, as well as erosion caused by age and weathering. Obviously, this ‘Alusi’ stood outside for a long time and was exposed to wind and weather. From this weathering come a few breaks to the head, neck, legs and feet. Nevertheless this ‘Alusi’ is visibly an unusually old sculpture of the northern Ibo, typically executed with regard to both its artistic and proportional features, which was in sacred ceremonial use for a long time.
Height: c. 110 cm. First third of the 20th century. Provenance: According to the consignor, the present item was purchased by his father on the art market in Paris in the 1970s. Since then: German private collection. (ME)

Lit.: ‘Igbo’ by Herbert M. Cole, ill. 15, 16, 17.