Dimensions: H:7.1" W:3.5" L:2.4" Weight: 1.8 lbs.
Igbo Bronze Bust Head from Nigeria - Cast bronze artifacts were discovered as early as the 9th century at Igbo-Ukwu, a town of the Igbo people in southern Nigeria. Most bronze sculptures were created in stages utilizing the lost wax technique, an old casting method that typically employs wax. Only the king had the power to command the creation of bronze artifacts, as well as regulate their distribution and usage. The king's palace was adorned with commemorative sculptures which included busts and heads of rulers.
About the Tribe
The Igbo or Ibo people of Nigeria, one of the largest tribes in Nigeria are located in the southeastern area referred to as Igboland. Igboland is divided into two sections along the lower River Niger, the eastern and Midwestern regions. Small Igbo communities are also found in parts of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. The Igbo speak the Igbo language. Before European colonization, the Igbo were not united as a single people but lived in autonomous local communities. By the mid-20th century, however, a sense of ethnic identity was strongly developed, and the Igbo-dominated Eastern region of Nigeria tried to unilaterally secede from Nigeria in 1967 as the independent nation of Biafra. By the turn of the 21st century, the Igbo numbered some 20 million. As a result of the transatlantic slave trade, Igbos have migrated to other countries including Jamaica, Cuba, Barbados, Belize, the United States among others.