This beautiful and elegant ceramic depiction of a seated man was made by the Nok people of Nigeria, at the very start of the first millennium AD. The astonishing artistry and early date of Nok pieces rank them among the most important artworks on the African continent and they occupy a major position for analysts of African cultural systematics as well as in terms of their sheer aesthetic value. Currently, comparatively little is known of the Nok culture. Flourishing between 900 BC and 200 AD, the Nok “culture” is technically a misnomer, for the artistic traditions it represents are the only common characteristics shared by different Iron-Age agriculturally-based communities that differed in all other respects. Their artworks, however, constitute the most sophisticated and formalised early African artistic tradition outside Egypt. Technically, they are very unusual because of the manner in which coiled and subtractive sculpting methods were used to capture likenesses. Aesthetically, they are both naturalistic and expressionist, with highly distinctive elongated forms, triangular eyes, pierced pupils/nostrils and elaborate hairstyles.
Substyles of the Nok tradition include the Jemaa Style, the Katsina Ala Style (elongated heads) and the Sokoto Style (elongated monobrow foreheads, lending a severe expression to the face) and random variants such as the Herm Statues of Kuchamfa (simplified cylindrical figures topped with normal heads) and the “standard” three-dimensional standing figures, which subscribe to the Jemaa style. It is to the Katsina Ala group that the current piece can be attributed. The function of the art is unclear, although the care with which they are executed has led some to claim they represent nobility, or perhaps ancestors to which obeisance and sacrifices were offered.
This piece is a classic of the Katsina Ala style. The body is relatively naturalistic, shaped in a series of graceful curves into a sitting position with one knee up and the other flexed against the floor. The left hand rests on the hip, while the right is pressed against the chest; each holds a small cylindrical object, probably weapons of some sort, or staffs of authority. The most extraordinary characteristic of this piece, however, is the supremely elongated head, which is formed into a long, conical shape narrowing from the brows to the mouth. The mid-section of the face is essentially featureless beneath the rounded-triangle eyes, running down to a broad, flat nose and a goatee beard that surrounds the slightly open mouth at the very tip of the face. In profile, this facial format lends a very graceful, expressive form to the piece, which conveys both calm reflection and mysterious inscrutability.
The figure is dressed in a range of items that suggest a ceremonial rather than secular function. The only practical item is the penis sheath that lies against the right thigh. The other items are ornamental, with a banded belt, a long necklace, large groups of armlets, bracelets and anklets, and a thick, decorative “collar” around the neck. The hair – or perhaps headdress – has been sculpted into an extremely ornate bouffant trefoil pattern, with a central gather at the front, then large, dome-like eminences on each side, and another on top of the head.

As stated, the role of these pieces is uncertain. The largest ones are believed to have been placed in structures that had ceremonial or ritual importance at the time, thus occupying a prominent social position within the community. Smaller ones may have been personal or domestic talismans or deities/spirits. However, when it comes to the identity of the people portrayed in the art, rather more guesswork is required. Men, women and fantastical personages are all portrayed. Portraiture of important people – such as chiefs and associated figures – might be one possibility. One might also argue that strong feminine or masculine traits imply that the sculptor was emphasizing the importance of fertility or virility, and all the collateral benefits it implies (success in agriculture etc). Fantastical sculptures are likely to represent unusual characters such as spirits, mythical figures (such as non-historical ancestors) or shamans. The current piece conveys authority and prestige in every aspect of his appearance, and while we cannot be certain at this remove from its date of manufacture, it is likely that it represents an important person associated with warfare or leadership, such as a chief or a deceased ancestor to the tribe. Whatever he represents, though, his aesthetic and historic credentials are perfect; this is a world-class piece of ancient art.