Ivory Coast Agni Statue

Interesting old statue representing a hardwood settler with a crusty patina. a certain shine emerges from the face and remains of polychromy are missing the feet height 35cm The Agni people live in Côte d'Ivoire, in West Africa, in the eastern region of the country, and in Ghana. They represent about 250,000 people. They were the first people in the country to come into contact with Europeans in the 17th century. The Agni (or Anyin, Anyi) are a people of Akan origin, their art is influenced by that of the Baoulé of central Côte d'Ivoire (face of the satue close to the Baoulé) and that of the lagoon peoples. Among the Agni, statuary is used to communicate with the ancestors and the deceased: it receives offerings and libations. Aesthetic constants of Agni statuary: the ringed neck is characteristic, the arms along the body. Initially the function of the Statues representing the settlers was to signal the passage or the presence of the Whites in a region. They were placed at road intersections, near bridges, at the entrance to villages, to inform the population as much as possible. Then a second period was that of the fight. The settlers were sculpted as effigies on which fetishes were made, to hunt or kill the whites. (from "Statues Settlers" by Werewere-Liking ) This type of statue may date back over 150 years....free shipping worldwide