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a close up of a statue of a man with a bird ' s head on his headan image of a wooden sculpture of a bird with its mouth opena wooden sculpture of a dog with its mouth opena close up of a wooden statue on a black backgrounda close up of a wooden statue on a black background
AGUTTES

Estimate €400 - €600
Sale commission
Description
IBIBIO Fetish 20th century. Height: 70 cm. Heavy wood, dark patina, traces of red paint around the lips of the beak. This sculpture achieves a striking visual synthesis between a human face (notably featuring a plaited hairstyle running across the top of the head) and a bird’s head, with strikingly large eyes and an open beak. The cylindrical navel is prominent. Provenance: Pierre Redouin Collection. Description: The highly symbolic human-bird hybridisation immerses us here in the complex world of communication with the spirit realm. In the cosmogony of the Ibibio and neighbouring peoples (Eket, Oron), the figure of the bird is often associated with the soul’s or spirit’s ability to travel between worlds to deliver messages or protect the community. This hybridisation emphasises that the entity depicted possesses powers superior to those of ordinary humans. In Ibibio art, the oversized eyes symbolise clairvoyance. The entity depicted ‘sees’ what is hidden, detects sorcerers or malicious intentions. This is a sign of constant spiritual vigilance. The wide-open mouth often evokes incantation, a ritual cry or the transmission of an occult truth. It is possible that the sculptor of this statuette was influenced by the nearby Eket world, where the bird is a major protective totem.
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About the sale The Breath of the Spirits: The Collection of Pierre Redouin and Others
Auction location
Auction time 09/24/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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