Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity
Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity Pair of Ewe Terrracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures - Art for Eternity

Pair of Ewe Terracotta Ancestor Shrine Figures

10769

$3,450
/
Shipping calculated at checkout.
  • Free insured US shipping on most pieces
  • Guaranteed authentic, with signed certificate of authenticity
  • 14-day returns

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Ewe peoples, Togo (Mono River region, Togo–Benin border)

This choice and expressive pair of abstract anthropomorphic shrine vessels stands on flared disc bases, each figure rising as a hollow tubular body with paddle-like hands and feet extended before it, pointed breasts, and a frankly modeled male sex. The faces are boldly rendered with open eyes, flared nostrils, and a mouth pierced in hollowed tubular form, while the hollow heads open at the top to form the vessel mouth, encircled at the flared rim by a band of nodded, knob-like "hair". Made by Ewe potters as ancestor and Vodun altar vessels—objects that received libations and offerings in shrine use—the pair retains a richly varied surface with earthen deposits and traces of pigment attesting to genuine ritual life and age.  

A matched surviving pair of this scale is uncommon, and the figures are notably enhanced by their early publication: a closely comparable pair appears in Dmitry Olderogge's The Art of Africa: Negro Art from the Institute of Ethnography, Leningrad, with photographs by Werner Forman (Hamlyn House Press, 1969), p. 141. Provenance: private Pennsylvania collection, acquired about thirty years ago.

Size: 13-3/8 inches (34 cm) & 12-5/8 inches (32 cm) H.

Cf. also comparable pairs in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, and the Dallas Museum of Art for related African anthropomorphic terracotta vessels. Rare and expressive

Every object is guaranteed authentic and as described, and has been legally acquired and imported in accordance with U.S. and applicable foreign regulations on the movement and sale of antiquities. A signed certificate of authenticity with a description and photograph accompanies this object. Any restoration is described on the invoice.

Free insured shipping within the United States on most pieces; oversized works are quoted at checkout. We pack and ship ourselves, usually within two business days. International shipping by USPS or DHL is calculated at checkout; if your country is not listed, write to us. Customs forms state the full value; international buyers are responsible for duties and taxes.

Any object may be returned within 14 days of receipt for a refund or credit. Contact us first. See Buying from Us.

You may also like

Recently viewed