An ancient alusi statue from a family shrine, it indicates the social rank of the person it represents, usually a founding ancestor. A frontal sculpture, respecting the principle of verticality, the arms are free from the body, the hands forward, the neck slender and elongated, the whole giving an impression of strength and stability. The head, with a face of great presence, is adorned with the traditional headdress and scarification marks covering the entire forehead. Igbo, Nigeria Wood, pigments, visible cracks and erosions, restorations (probable clogging), old and beautiful ritual patina. 107cm high Provenance: Stéphane Kurc Collection, Paris Stéphane Kurc Collection, Paris Exhibition and Publication: Vilmorin, Gloire de la femme dans l'art africain, Palais des Arts, Dinard, June 28 - September 14 2008 2008, p.35, n°A36