Ijo Warrior Bush Spirit Figure, Nigeria

with Cowrie (Cypraea moneta) shells attached to the skirt.

Allan Stone, New York

Good condition for an object of this type and age. Marks, nicks, scratches, abrasions, small chips, and surface cavities. Age cracks including one vertical crack running from proper left ear down through proper left side of the body, and another vertical crack running from the top of the hat through proper right side of the head into where the proper right arm meets the body. Age crack to front of integrally carved plinth between the feet. Metal is aged and oxidized. Fine layered aged surface with remains of white, red, and black pigment. Textile attachments faded with fraying and holes. Underside weathered. Some remnants of insect casings. Fitted with a square metal sleeve for attachment to modern base (loose).
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The Ijo live all along the coast of the Niger River Delta. According to Anderson (in Anderson and Peek 2002: 91), "ethnographic record confirms that the Ijo and their closest neighbors - including the Isoko, Itsekiri, and Urhobo - were warlike peoples." As a result, much of Ijo statuary revolves around the theme of mythical warfare and warriors.

And Anderson (loc. cit.: 105) continues: the "Ijo hold that human beings befriend, marry, and even bear children with nature spirits while awaiting birth in the creator's realm. These spirits may later follow their human friends or family members to earth in order to demand offerings or images. [...] Although Ijo say bush spirits resemble them more closely than water spirits, they often describe them as ugly, unkempt creatures. Many also exhibit physical abnormalities; as one diviner explained, the most powerful people in the bush are disfigured or disabled, for those conditions make them proud and extremely irritable."