“The 1,000,000 Tiv people live from farming fields on the left bank of the Benue River and take their name from their eponymous ancestor. They carve figures which are either large and elongated or naturally proportioned with round heads and occasionally scarification at the corners of the mouth and a crested coiffure. Some of these figures were used as posts for reception huts, while others, called Ihambe, are to linked to the concept of fecundity and marriage. Tiv blacksmiths have achieved notoriety for their ‘prestige’ adzes in which the handle ends in a stylized human head with a blade sprouting from it. These are used during festivities and important meetings. Their metal output also includes small copper figures with splayed legs and rounded heads”
Source:
Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.
Art from this Tribe
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Tiv Mask with Elephant Carving 23″ – Nigeria – African Art
$175.00$87.50View More -
Tiv Mask with Eagle Superstructure 16″ – Nigeria – African Art
$175.00$87.50View More -
Vibrant Tiv Festival Mask 20″ – Nigeria – African Art
$175.00$87.50View More -
Tiv Festival Mask with Large Snake 17.5″ – Nigeria – African Art
$220.00$110.00View More -
Colorful Tiv Festival Mask 17.5″ – Nigeria – African Art
$215.00$107.50View More -
Tiv Mask with 2 Horses and Bird 18″ – Nigeria – African Art
$195.00$97.50View More -
Tiv Mask with Man Holding Snake 15.75″ – Nigeria – African Art
$230.00$115.00View More -
Vibrant Tiv Festival Mask 16.75″ – Nigeria – African Art
$195.00$97.50View More -
Tiv Kwagh-Hir Festival Mask 16.5″ – Nigeria – African Art
$220.00$110.00View More -
Tiv Festival Face Mask 23.5″ – Nigeria – African Art
$215.00$107.50View More