Shrine figure

Object Details

Igala artist

Label Text

This figure represents a type of Igala shrine figure, or okega, found in the Ibaji district of Nigeria. The cylindrical body is surmounted by a stylized head with horns that curve up and back. The head is flat on both sides, reducing the face to a small area. Facial features are minimal. The body is covered with a cage of various materials that almost obscures the form. The artist carved the bottom half of the figure as a series of tiers marked by deep, vertical incisions. The figure smokes a pipe, as is often the case for such okega.

Individual Igala own this type of okega and keep them in the ancestor shrine of the extended family to which the person belongs. As with the Igala's southern neighbors, the Igbo, rituals involving okega (called ikenga by the Igbo) center on personal success and social achievement. Advancement occurs through title taking, which is based on wealth and on promotion through a series of grades based on the individual's ability to pay entrance fees.

Description

Horned figure (stylized human) smoking a long-stemmed pipe and bound with fiber strips. There is a trace of blue pigment on the pipe bowl. Sticks with bark are bound with the figure.

Provenance

Pace Primitive, New York, 1987

Exhibition History

Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 4, 2017-ongoing

Published References

Cole, Herbert M. 1989. Icons: Ideals and Power in the Art of Africa. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, no. 24.

Cole, Herbert M. 2012. Invention and Tradition: The Art of Southeastern Nigeria. New York: Prestel, pp. 85, 214, no. 125.

Kreamer, Christine Mullen. 2003. " A Tribute to Roy Sieber: Part 2." African Arts 36 (2), pp. 12-13, no. 4.

National Museum of African Art. 1988. The Permanent Collection of the National Museum of African Art, Large-Type Edition. Museum brochure. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

National Museum of African Art. 1999 (?). Images of Power and Identity: Selections from the Permanent Collection. Exhibition brochure. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

National Museum of African Art. 1999. Selected Works from the Collection of the National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 92, no. 62.

Visoná, Monica Blackmun, Robin Poyner, Herbert M. Cole and Michael D. Harris. 2001. A History of Art in Africa. New York: Harry N. Abrams, p. 297, no. 9-30.

Visoná, Monica Blackmun, Robin Poyner and Herbert M. Cole. 2008. A History of Art in Africa. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, p. 303, no. 9-43.

Content Statement

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Credit Line

Gift of Orrel Belle Holcombe in memory of Bryce Holcombe

Mid-20th century

Object number

87-6-1

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Figure

Medium

Wood, plant fiber, iron, kaolin, pigment

Dimensions

H x W x D: 62.2 x 23.5 x 17.8 cm (24 1/2 x 9 1/4 x 7 in.)

Geography

Ibaji area, Nigeria

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

Exhibition

Visionary: Viewpoints on Africa's Arts

On View

NMAfA, Second Level Gallery (2193)

Object Name

okega

National Museum of African Art

Topic

Shrine/Altar

male

Record ID

nmafa_87-6-1

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7c0c07876-3d1e-460c-afb2-c7766d253d6c