100 - 100. Statue of the guardian deity Alusi

100. Statue of the guardian deity Alusi Wood, with original patina and signs of wear, covered with natural pigments. Localized erosion. Igbo, Nigeria. H.: 112 cm Standing male figure with slender proportions. The rounded shoulders extend into long arms that trace a wide arc around the protruding abdomen. The highly stylized hands blend into the extension of the arms and curve back toward the lower abdomen in an enveloping gesture evoking a protective stance. The streamlined body, devoid of clearly visible scarification marks, contrasts with the deeply carved face, set back within a rounded frame that is finely striated and topped by a protrusion at the crown. A long, cylindrical neck accentuates the verticality and the powerful archaic expression of the entire figure. The Alusi figures embodied tutelary deities honored in Igbo shrines. Gathered in groups evoking a family, they received offerings intended to promote the protection, fertility, and well-being of the community. Comparative Bibliography Schoffel-Valluet Gallery, *Dialogue of Worlds: Victor Brauner and Primitive Arts*, Paris, 2010, pp. 126–127: Alusi statue from the former Jacques Kerchache collection, later in the Schoffel-Valluet Gallery, offered at Christie’s in 2012, Sale 3521, Lot 48. Of the same height, 112 cm, this example shares several similarities with our sculpture: the simplicity of the body with no apparent scarifications, a protruding belly, rounded shoulders, an elongated neck, and a face deeply set within an enveloping, striated frame.