Exceptional pair of Ijo statues from Nigeria, cultural and historical witnesses

Pair of Ijo statues - Nigeria Africa. An exceptional pair of masterfully sculpted Ijo statues (Nigeria). These pieces take part in the main events in the social life of Igbos societies. Secretly kept inside sacred huts, they were brought out and displayed to villagers during collective ceremonies. H. 115cm The Ijos are a group of West African peoples, mainly found in southern Nigeria, in the Niger delta. In the early 15th century, they migrated further west to form the Krou peoples of Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Africanists speculate that they were among the first inhabitants of southern Nigeria. Their geographical location, between the Atlantic Ocean and the forest, encouraged early trade with Europeans, who captured slaves (Igbos) or bought palm oil. Today, many Ijo are migrant fishermen who can be found along the West African coast, as far west as Sierra Leone and as far east as Gabon.