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Male figure
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Realized in a very distinctive style using the lost-wax method, this figure’s cultural origin and function is limited because it was removed from Nigeria during that country’s turbulent civil war of the late 1960s. Perhaps it was once part of an altar or shrine dedicated to a guardian or tutelary spirit. Connotations of prestige and wealth may explain why copper-alloy objects were diffused across vast territory and inherited over many generations.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineMale figure, probably 1800s. Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Benue River Valley, Unidentified maker. Copper alloy; height: 44.7 x 22.7 x 9.6 cm (17 5/8 x 8 15/16 x 3 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 2016.57
