Object Name: Female shrine figure
Place of Origin: Nigeria
Cultural Group: Urhobo peoples
Materials Used: Wood and pigment
Dimensions: H: 125 cm, W: 33 cm, D: 34 cm (H: 49.2 in, W: 12.9 in, D: 13.3 in)
Credit Line and Accession Number: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Helen and Dr. Robert Kuhn. X91.338

Females may appear as secondary figures in male-centered shrines focusing on military prowess or as primary figures in female-centered shrines focusing on procreation. A nursing mother often represents the “wife” of a male spirit. The crownlike headgear worn by this figure gives her a regal appearance, and traces of red pigment may allude to her status as a new mother.

Source: Anderson, Martha G. and Peek, Philip M. ed. (2002): “Ways of the Rivers: Arts and Environment of the Niger Delta”  Los Angeles, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History. page 126