A gallery of the art of
AfricansAFRICAN QUINTESSENCE
A gallery of the art of
Africans
Ancestral Figure (tadep)
Mambila, eastern Nigeria / western Cameroon
This figure is called a tadep by the Mambila peoples of eastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. It serves as an abode for ancestral spirits and is normally kept on a family altar at a ritual expert’s hut (suaga). The Mambila are peaceful agricultural peoples governed by their elders. They extensively celebrate planting and harvest seasons. The Mambila believed that their ancestral spirits could influence planting seasons and harvests and therefore lavishly pampered these figures with offerings and libations, which over the generations have formed several coats of encrusted patina. Rare, aged and ritually used. Excellent specimen.
25” tall .
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