Ancestor figure – Wood – Montol – Nigeria

Ex Zemanek-Münster auction.

Wooden Montol ancestor figure. The Montol are a small ethnic group live on the right bank of the Benue River and are known for their small figures with splayed legs and round heads. These sculptures were used for fortune telling and healing rites. They belong to a men society called “komtin”. Figures of the Montol are quite rare and their style is not clearly defined. It varies from one carver to the other.
Most Montol figures were used for some kind of healing.

Provenance: former private Italian collection