Pair of Chamba figures, Nigeria This double Chamba... Lot 9

Pair of Chamba figures, Nigeria This double Chamba figure has a crusty red ochre patina, with local flaking. Best known for their buffalo masks, the Chamba communicated with the spirit world through these statues. However, little is known about their functions. This sculpture bears a close resemblance to the piece sculpted by Soompa before 1940 and displayed at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond (U.S.A.) and featured on page 73 of the book "Arts de la vallée de la Bénoué" published by the Musée du Quai Branly. According to the authors, these statues were used in rituals at Mapeo in Nigeria and Yéli in Cameroon. The central block joining the two figures features a frontal crack. Part of one of the oversized feet on which the sculpture rests is missing. 46 x 26 cm Settled since the 17th century on the south bank of the Benue river in Nigeria, coming from the mountainous regions on the Cameroonian borders, the Chamba resisted the attempted conquests of the Fulani, nomads who settled in large numbers in northern Nigeria. They are renowned for their famous buffalo mask, with its two flat jaws extending from the head. Statuary, less frequent, is divided into protection figures ( tauwa , sing. tau ), which are kept in a hut to the left of the concession entrance, and ancestor statues, kona . The couple figures refer to the universal theme of the primordial couple.