Figure of Ajiku
Not on view
This figure was commissioned to address both individual and societal maladies in a northern Jukun community. Conceived as the incarnation of Ajiku, junior wife of the healing spirit Mam, it was deployed as part of a sculptural trio that included representations of Mam and his senior wife, Agbadu. When placed near the sickbed of an infirm client, this finely carved work was believed to encourage their possession by the spirit. Special attention has been focused on Ajiku’s head and elaborate coiffure. Her elongated earlobes and jutting, bearded chin recall a vertical mask genre popular in Jukun communities farther south, suggesting that she may be depicted as a masked entity.
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