Complete masculine personage - Culture Nok

The figure, which is standing on an inverted vessel, rests its right leg on the recipient, while bending the left leg upwards. It is characterised by its peculiar features, which even appear more animal than human, and as is typical of the Nok style, it presents perforated eyes, nose, mounth and ears. The man is covered with the usual phallic protector, as well as being adorned with necklaces and bracelets. The headdress, dentate in form, and the object held in the right hand, a kind of stone axe of which the lower part has been lost, could indicate that this is the representation of a high ranking personage, even a king. But nothing is known of the social organisation of the Nok people. Although from the air of sophistication given by its creations it is posible to think that they constituted a kingdom, it is impossible to prove this. Therefore it is also impossible to state the identity of the personage represented in the sculpture. Another two objects enrich the composition. Hanging over the left shoulder of the figure is a piece which is typical of Nok apparel and which functions as a "counterweight" and which must have served to secure more firmly the fabric which envelops the body. At the same time, between the feet can be seen the head-very deteriorated and impossible to identify-of a dead animal, whose back legs and tail hang between the feet of the man at the back of the sculpture. The good state of conservation of the piece is remarkable, since this is not habitual in the case of large sculptures such as this one.