17 - Statue Jukun, Nigeria

Statue Jukun, Nigeria 19th–20th century Wood H. 62.5 cm Height with base: 72.5 cm A group of sedentary farmers, the Jukun people inhabit the Benue River valley in Nigeria, near the Mumuye. They are known for their figurative and imaginative sculptures, characterized by a high degree of geometric abstraction. The figures’ movement is accentuated by the disproportion and length of their limbs, by the characteristic space between the arms and the torso, by the pronounced waistline, by the overall asymmetry, and by the reinvented proportions. Their creation attests to the Jukun people’s power of invention. This rare male statue, representing a fusion of styles from northeastern Nigeria and attesting to the relationships and mutual influences between the Jukun and Mumuye peoples, demonstrates the exceptional formal inventiveness of this stylistic tradition while standing out for its great rarity. Its dynamic, geared more toward the exaltation of power than of movement, is marked by a suggested asymmetry. The broad pelvis breaks the verticality of the figure, who stands on small, widely splayed legs. His hands framing his torso are at first glance reminiscent of a belt. His long torso extends harmoniously in a smooth, linear line down to his neck. The small, stylized, abstract face features a mouth with a broad smile that has faded but can still be sensed due to the ravages of time etched on his face. Her circular, metallic pupils lend her a very distinctive expressiveness, marked by both astonishment and curiosity. They also suggest her sharpness and discernment. Her earlobes, stretched out to the sides, accentuate the roundness of the lower part of her face. A tall, cylindrical headdress crowns his face. Provenance - Collected in the early 1970s, - likely by Michel Huguenin - Max Itzikovitz Collection, Paris - Donated to the Monbrison Gallery, Paris - Richard Scheller Collection - Patrik Fröhlich Collection, Zurich - Private French collection Datation et analyses Dating: Carbon-14 test (CIRAM) No. 0715-OA-176X Exhibitions February–July 2015, San Francisco, De Young Museum, “Embodiments: Masterworks of African Figurative Sculpture: The Richard Scheller Collection” Littérature Supplementary Bibliography Central Nigeria Unmasked: Arts of the Benue River Valley, exhibition catalog [Los Angeles, Fowler Museum, February 13–July 24, 2011], Fowler Museum at UCLA, 2011 Frank Herreman, Mumuye. Sculptures from Nigeria: The Human Figure Reinvented, Milan, 5 Continents, 2016