Curator Mary Jo Arnoldi notes that the collector was told they were from Esie, Nigeria. While the handling of the facial features of the two carvings are similar to the well known Esie Shrine figures, their rather summary stylization and lack of detail (coiffure, facial scarification, carved necklaces and bracelets, etc.) suggests that they are not from Esie. Reference: Philip Allison. African Stone Sculpture. London: Lund Humphries, 1968. Stevens, Phillips. The Stone Images of Esie, Nigeria. Ibadan, Nigeria: Ibandan University Press, 1978.
