Description:

Bura-Asinda-Sikka, modern-day Mali/Niger, ca. 3rd to 11th century CE. Rare carved stone head/marker from this little known culture. A the upper end is a large, oddly frog-shaped head with eyes, nose and mouth in high relief. Note that the designs incised on the surface reveal some form of ritual tattooing. The piece resolves in a long shaft-like form for insertion into the ground or holding. A very nice example! Very little is actually known about the Bura civilization. Archaeologists first discovered the site (to the northwest of Niamey, the capital of Niger, and in Burkina Faso) in 1975 and excavations were begun in 1983. The vast majority of the pieces recoverd have been terracotta vessels or heads. Stone examples are far more difficult to come by. Custom, square metal mount. Size: figure itself measures Size: 3" W x 12.5" H (7.6 cm x 31.8 cm); 12.75" (32.4 cm) H on stand.

Provenance: Ex Peter Arnovick Collection, Los Altos CA

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#112087

  • Condition: Old chips to lower terminus. Otherwise normal wear to aged surface.

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February 16, 2016 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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