Ife Effigy Head of Dignitary Circa 1472 AD Terracotta 5 x 2 x 3 in 13 x 5 x 8 cm Yoruba people; Southwestern Nigeria, West Africa
Ife Effigy Head of Dignitary Cirça 1472 AD Terracotta 5 x 2 x 3 in 13 x 5 x 8 cm Yoruba people; Southwestern Nigeria, West Africa This is a very elegant effigy head of a dignitary with characteristics of parallel facial striations, which were traditional facial scarifications used by the Ife people. This artifact was found in the area of Ife, in the center heartlands of the Yoruba people. This artifact is a very rare and important archeological find from the Ife civilization. The époque of the Ife civilization is estimated to be from the period between the 12th–15th centuries. The results of thermoluminescence testing conducted by Oxford research laboratory in England show that this artifact was last fired into its present construction approximately 500–800 years ago, which is consistent with the suggested period of the Ife civilization. Provenance: Private French collection later purchased by Maxwell Price