Igbo Standing male Colonial figure (Alusi) 3 FEET

Standing Male Figure (Alusi)
Igbo (Ibo)
Nigeria
Wood and Native Coloring Matter
Height is 37.5 Inches.

This well used figure comes from the Igbo people who today live in the southeastern part of Nigeria north of the great delta of the Nigeria
River.

They have a number of deities known as alusi, shown as sculptures that represent ancestors and culture heroes who insure the well being of the family and village. The figures are kept in cult shrines where they are ritually addressed and given offerings to insure their good will to insure that crops grow, babies are born, and people will conduct themselves in a moral and socially appropriate manner.

This well carved figure is presented in a typical Igbo sculptural position in which the palms were turned upwards in the traditional Igbo gesture of ’openness and generosity’ as well as showing their willingness to receive gifts and offerings as honored ancestors.

Sculptures will often have their bodies patterned with local traditions of scarification and traditional figures have vertical scarification known as ‘Ichi marks’ cut into their foreheads signifying their status
as an adult Igbo person. The white color of the face shows the figure to be a spirit and the yellow color placed on the hands and feet adds
an aesthetic quality.

This classically carved figure has damage to it
does not detract from the presence of the figure.