Africa, Niger and Burkina Faso, Bura, ca. 300 to 800 CE. Among the oldest terracotta sculpture from Sub-Saharan Africa, a characteristically hollow Bura head with a beguiling countenance. Although every Bura head is unique in some way, this countenance still retains many characteristics of the classical Nok style - the culture which predated the Bura - featuring an enlarged haughty head, high smooth forehead, wide set, raised eyes, and bulbous, bald head adorned by scattered nodules, all supported by a thick neck. The form was hand-built by a coil building technique and details were attained via a subtractive technique - scraping away from the surface to create a sophisticated visage comprised of wonderfully geometric lines. The creator of this piece originally adorned it with slip and fired it to attain a smooth texture. As is the case with most surviving Bura sculptures, this slip has worn away leaving a charming form, nonetheless. A remarkable example! Size: 5" L x 3.8" W x 5.1" H (12.7 cm x 9.7 cm x 13 cm)

Little is known about the Bura Asinda-Sikka archaeological site, which was discovered and excavated only in the last few decades. It is a necropolis that was filled with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic terracotta figurines, frequently placed above inhumation-style burials; many of these burials had accompanying grave goods such as bronze jewellery, iron weapons, and glass beads (the latter indicating that this culture had trade ties across the Sahara with North Africa). Figures like this one are thought to represent individuals rather than having been mass produced.

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report is available to the buyer upon request.

Provenance: private Venice, Florida, USA collection, acquired from Clearing House Estate Sales, Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA, March 2023

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#183874

Head is a fragment from a larger sculpture but is itself intact. Nice remaining form and detail. Small chips and nicks commensurate with age, as well as weathering as shown. Earthen deposits to surface. TL holes to underside of base and verso of head.