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Ekpu ancestor figure

late 18th–early 19th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 343
Until the 1930s, the creation of such a work was an essential part of the process whereby an esteemed Oron elder was elevated to ancestral status. The figures served as the locus whereby the distinguished individuals portrayed were invoked to play an essential role in assuring the well-being of their offspring. Features depicted that allude to their exalted social standing are prominent headdresses, beards, and stomachs. The eldest member of a clan was the guardian and keeper of a shrine in which as many as fourteen generations of their forebearers were so honored.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Ekpu ancestor figure
  • Artist: Oron artist
  • Date: late 18th–early 19th century
  • Geography: Nigeria, Lower Cross River region
  • Culture: Oron
  • Medium: Wood
  • Dimensions: H. 27 × W. 4 1/4 × D. 4 7/8 in. (68.6 × 10.8 × 12.4 cm)
  • Classification: Wood-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Acquisitions Benefit 2006, and Ross Family Fund and Daniel and Marian Malcolm Gifts, 2007
  • Object Number: 2007.173
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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