The Mumuye, a tribal group occupying the northern Benue River region of eastern Nigeria, created this distinctive sculpture. The Mumuye inhabit the remote, rocky Adamawa plateau, and so researchers from the West have learned of Mumuye cultural traditions only in the last few decades. Present-day scholarship has not only led to a stylistic attribution of their work but has increased the understanding and appreciation of their rich sculptural heritage.
Mumuye figures were used in a variety of ways and in a number of contexts. Diviners and healers employed some figures in diagnosing and curing illness; others were used to guard the home, dispense justice, or reinforce an elder’s status. The carvings were probably meant to represent ancestors and other important figures. They were usually kept in a special dwelling, where offerings were made to them.
Mumuye sculptures display several distinctive characteristics; the pendent ear-like elements that flank the face are most noteworthy. These may represent either distended earlobes or perhaps earrings.
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