A Daka Shrine Sculpture ...

Description

A Daka Shrine Sculpture
Nigeria, c. 1870

Carved with a commanding round head on a long neck, this rare shrine figure embodies the formal vocabulary of the Daka of central Nigeria, living near the larger Waja people with whom they have similar cultural traditions. The large oval ears, triangular projecting nose, and open mouth projecting from a concave facial plane give the face a lively presence. It has incised horizontal scarifications at the temples and a median crest running from the hairline to the nape. Also remarkable are the large inset circular glass eyes, which would have caught and reflected light, intensifying the sculpture's dramatic and spiritual presence during ritual. The elongated neck rests on a hemispherical base with rudimentary "arms" in low relief. White pigment in the face contrast with the deeply encrusted, smoky patination that attests to long ritual exposure. A cord of native manufacture remains tied around the neck. In very good condition; the base weathered from exposure to the ground, a crack on the proper right side of the base, minor scuffs and scrapes.

Figures of this type were central to Daka shrine practice, serving as intermediaries with the spirit world and as anchors for offerings and petitions. Their rarity in Western collections, combined with the exceptional state of preservation and powerful sculptural presence of this example places it among the most compelling expressions of central Nigerian ritual art.

Provenance:
Acquired by the current collection in 1990
Lance Entwistle, London, UK and New York, NY
Sotheby's New York, May 1981, lot 124
Sotheby's New York, November 14, 1980, lot 197
Ernst (1914-2002) & Ruth Anspach Collection, Greenwich, NY, as of 1980
Ralph Nash (1928-2014), London, UK
Alexander Martin, London, UK
Reportedly collected by Christian Duponcheel (1941-2004), Pietrebais, Belgium

Height: 35 inches

More Information: British explorers on the Niger and Benue Rivers (such as the expeditions of the 1841 Niger Expedition and later Richard and John Lander, and William Balfour Baikie in the 1850s) recorded contact with groups in the Adamawa Highlands. These early accounts mention the non-Muslim hill peoples, later identified as Waja and Daka, living beyond the Fulani-controlled lowlands.
While missionary activity and colonial administration curtailed public shrine practice in the early 20th century, Waja/Daka sculptural traditions did not vanish uniformly. Some figures were concealed or continued in restricted ritual use; and later in the 20th century (after this was collected) some were produced for sale as the older forms had lost their ceremonial function. The present work's (i) tool marks, (ii) surface accretion, and (iii) early collection date align it with pre- or early-contact practice, rather than later market production


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