{"product_id":"sokoto-terracotta","title":"Sokoto Terracotta","description":"\u003cp\u003eSokoto Terracotta\u003cbr\u003eSokoto Tradition, Northern Nigeria; collected in the Kaduna Region\u003cbr\u003eTerracotta\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis compact terracotta sculpture depicts two closely linked anthropomorphic figures. Their bodies rise almost block-like from a common base; large, upward-pointing heads define the silhouette. Particularly striking are the deeply pierced, almond-shaped eyes, boldly protruding noses, and abstracted ears. In the front figure, the arms are bent at the sides, while sculptural rounded forms and appliqués accentuate the chest and shoulders. The coarse-grained, reddish-brown surface with mineral inclusions retains the raw character of the fired clay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe work is attributed to the so-called Sokoto Tradition of Northern Nigeria, a group of early terracotta artists stylistically distinct from the better-known Nok sculptures of Central Nigeria. Characteristic features include highly simplified, sometimes elongated heads, prominent eyebrows, and openwork eyes. Sokoto terracottas are dated to roughly between 500 BCE and 200 CE, making them approximately contemporaneous with parts of the Nok tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir original function remains uncertain, not least because many known examples were recovered without a controlled archaeological context. Accordingly, the meaning of the striking double figure should also remain open to interpretation. However, their close physical connection creates a powerful image of proximity, togetherness, and shared presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLiterature (selection):\u003cbr\u003eSchädler, Karl-Ferdinand: Earth and Ore. 2500 Years of African Art in Terracotta and Metal. Munich 1979.\u003cbr\u003eFagg, Bernard: Nok Terracottas. Lagos 1977.\u003cbr\u003eBreunig, Peter (ed.): Nok. African Sculpture in Archaeological Context. Frankfurt am Main 2013.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInv. No. MAZ21066\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInformant Amadou\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeight: 25 cm\u003cbr\u003eWeight: 1.9 kg\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54745009815875,"sku":"MAZ21066","price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0631\/3797\/2463\/files\/MAZ21066.jpg?v=1786886495","url":"https:\/\/wolfgang-jaenicke.com\/products\/sokoto-terracotta","provider":"Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke","version":"1.0","type":"link"}