H x W x D: 172.3 x 29.5 x 43cm (67 13/16 x 11 5/8 x 16 15/16in.)
Type:
Architectural Element
Geography:
Ekiti region, Nigeria
Date:
1920-1950
Label Text:
Veranda posts ringed palace courtyard through Yourbaland. The equestrian figure is an important symbol of prestige and power in Yoruba art. Horses are associated with the cavalry of the neighboring Islamic states in what is now northern Nigeria, where they posed a longtime threat to the Yoruba. Most Yoruba sculptors emphasize the importance of the man over the horse through relative size. This is particularly true of the artist who created this post.
Description:
Wood equestrian figure with a columnar extension from the head to form a veranda post. The male figure wears a broad brimmed hat and holds a spear in his proper right hand. The post has an overall grey weathered surface.
Provenance:
Pace Primitive and Ancient Art, New York, 1976
Exhibition History:
African Gallery, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, September 29, 2005-October 1, 2008
For Spirits and Kings: African Art from the Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1981
African Spirit Images and Identities, Pace Primitive, New York, April 24-May 29, 1976
Published References:
Siroto, Leon. 1976. African Spirit Images and Identities. New York: Pace Editions, pp. 88-89, no. 206.
Vogel, Susan (ed). 1981. For Spirits and Kings: African Art from the Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, pp. 123-124, no. 67.
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