A fragmentary terracotta head in the style of Nok, Nigeria, with an elongated face, large eyes in the shape of triangles with eyebrow over them, a small nose and beautifully designed rounded mouth, some hair falling on the sides; the inside is hollowed, traces of use. Certificate of origin and provenance. “Nok head fragments were once part of entire bodies and are the most renowned objects within the corpus known to date. These objects are so highly varied that it is likely they were modelled individually rather than cast from molds. Although terracottas are usually formed using additive techniques, many Nok pieces were sculpted subtractively in a manner similar to carving. This distinctive approach suggests that a comparable wood-carving tradition may have influenced them. The heads of Nok terracottas are invariably proportionally large relative to the bodies, and while not enough is known of Nok culture to explain this apparent imbalance, it is interesting to note that a similar emphasis of the head in later African art traditions often signifies respect for intelligence.” Source: The Met Museum, New York.