Janiform Idoma crest-bust, Nigeria - Lot 2

Janiform Idoma crest-bust, Nigeria Two faces supported by a long neck are topped with tubular protrusions. Checkerboard scarification marks adorn the faces. Holes at the base allowed the addition of raffia fibers. This dense wooden crest was used for dry-season funeral ceremonies and festivities in the Cross River region. Crusty patina, locally flaking. Cracks 46 x 18 cm The Idoma live at the confluence of the Benué and Niger rivers. Numbering 500,000, they are farmers and traders. The influence of their Igbo neighbors, as well as that of the Cross River and Igala ethnic groups, has generated great similarities and stylistic borrowings. Members of the royal lineage of their oglinye society, glorifying courage, use a wide variety of masks and crests for funerals and festivities. Some of them could not be seen, on pain of death. They also produced statues of fertility with whitened faces and incised teeth. Janiform crests are generally displayed at notables' funerals. Members of the Kwompten male society used statues called goemai for healing rituals.