Old Large Mumuye Anthropomorphic Figure – African Iron Currency – Nigeria

Hand-forged iron and braided/wrapped leather. Height: 65 cm / 25.59 in. Weight: 1,742 g / 61.45 oz. Condition: very good condition considering age and traditional use, with extensive oxidation, corrosion, encrustation and surface wear.

The figure is entirely hand-forged in iron and displays a highly abstract anthropomorphic form. The composition is dominated by an elongated body and long, widely spread limbs, with flattened and slightly expanded extremities. Despite its radical abstraction, the human form remains immediately recognizable.

A particularly distinctive feature is the extensive old braided and wrapped leather covering the iron structure around the neck, shoulders, torso and waist. The leather has been tightly worked around the metal in numerous bands and decorative patterns, creating a strongly textured surface and emphasizing the different anatomical sections of the figure. The combination of forged iron and intricately worked leather gives the piece an especially powerful sculptural presence.

The iron has developed extensive dark brown oxidation and an aged surface patina, while the leather shows wear, encrustation and deterioration consistent with considerable age and traditional use. The irregularities of the forging and the aged surfaces contribute substantially to the character of the piece.

Such traditional iron objects may have been associated with concepts of wealth, exchange and prestige in addition to their symbolic significance.

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