Torso of Chief N’Ko (?)

By the 17th century, ceremonial slit drums had become the beating focal point of village life for communities along the northern reaches of the Cross River, near the border between present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. Called ikoro, such instruments were housed in dedicated sanctuaries and served both as altars and as a means of communicating with the outside world. When played by a designated official, an ikoro’s “voice,” which was understood as that of the community, could carry announcements some ten kilometers.

Monumental in scale, ikoro were often adorned with near-life-sized figures on one or both ends of their hollow, cylindrical bodies. Surviving fragments from this sculptural tradition suggest that it frequently depicted two archetypal human subjects: the mother with child and the warrior. 20th century oral histories surrounding this example of the later type suggest that, once separated from its drum, it served as a stand-alone commemorative sculpture dedicated to the local sovereign, Chief N’Ko.

The absence of a head in this case may reflect Chief N’Ko’s explicit direction, as he is reported to have said: “I know that after our death, our great grandsons will know more comfortable centuries than our own; but to remind them that this ease comes from us, who have fought for their freedom, I ask that the head of my sculpture be cut off and buried with the rest of my body. This will remind them that numerous heads were severed for their liberty but if our faces have disappeared, our powers will lead them nonetheless.”