URHOBO EJO SCULPTURE

A male Urhobo ‘Ejo’ sculpture, meaning ‘mythical warrior’. The figure is carved from hard wood and sits upright on a stool set on a wooden base. Wearing large anklets and bracelets with a necklace on his chest, the figure would have been holding a spear and a sword, now missing. The long neck supports an elongated head with protruding mouth beneath a hat. The figure is coloured with light pigment.

The Urhobo live in the western region of the Niger Delta, in the south of Nigeria. They venerate the forces of nature in the form of spirits, as well as their own ancestors. The ‘Ejo’ is a shrine figure that would have been the recipient of ritual offerings by members of the Urhobo ancestor cult.    

Dimensions

Condition

Slightly eroded base. Evidence of repair to both wrists, once broken. Missing wooden forms or weapons that would have been in both hands.