Help Identifying Nigerian(?) Wood Statues

Hi guys,

I inherited two carved wooden statues from my late father, and I am hoping that you might be able to assist in their identification, and possible age.

My father was gifted these in the mid 1960s from a friend who was at the time living in Lagos, Nigeria.

Any information would be very much appreciated.

Measurements:
Woman(1): 54cm
Woman with baby(2): 64cm

Please let me know if you need any further info. Pics below.

Thanks in advance, and greetings from sunny South Africa

 

both look to have been new when gifted...

@2manybooks
@Boland
@Marote

 

Maternity figures are very common in traditional African art. Both of the sculptures you have are from West Africa, but neither are in styles characteristic for peoples in Nigeria. I believe they are from the region on either side of the border between Mali and Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire). Going by the form of the hairstyles/headgear, the first may be by a Bamana/Bambara carver in Mali. The second one is more typical of Senufo carvers. The Senufo are a large group, living in Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Ghana. You can see similar examples of maternity figures from each group here -

https://www.zyama.com/bambara/

https://www.zyama.com/senufo/

And a discussion of African maternity figures in general here -

https://www.randafricanart.com/African_maternity_figures_various_people.html

 

Wow. As always, amazed by the wealth of knowledge on this forum. Thank you for the prompt replies and the information. Very much appreciated.

 

After further reflection, and a night's sleep, there is another possibility I should have considered. By the 1960s there was an active international market for African art, and workshops sprang up in countries such as Ghana and Nigeria to satisfy the demand. Talented carvers from many ethnic groups would carve whatever sold best, whether or not it was in their own tradition. This may be a better explanation for the carvings coming from Nigeria. I was reluctant to criticize their quality, but neither are great exemplars of the styles they are trying to be. The second figure, in particular, shows the chunky proportions of Yoruba carvings rather than the more slender proportions typical of Senufo work.

Yoruba - Senufo -

https://www.michaelbackmanltd.com/archived_objects/yoruba-maternity-figure-2/
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-african-cultures-celebrated-motherhood-sculpture

The second carving is, imo, the better of the two even though it is most likely a pastiche.