Ancient Itsekiri paddle : Jekri, Nigeria - Lot 41

Ancient Itsekiri paddle : Jekri, Nigeria Engraved wood 19th-20th centuries H. 170 cm Provenance: Galerie Christine Valluet Collection Pierre Robin In the Niger Delta, water is not only a vital element: it structures spiritual, social and economic life. Present in beliefs, rituals and the arts, it is honored through masks, sculptures, festivals and shrines dedicated to water spirits. The canoe, omnipresent in this roadless swampy region, embodies both a survival tool and a symbolic vehicle. Among the Ijo, it is the unifying element of daily life and rituals: it enables essential travel for fishing, trade and agriculture, as well as for religious practices. As sacred vehicles, they transport soothsayers, offerings and spirits during spectacular ceremonies in which the boats become floating stages for dances, war songs and masquerades celebrating the invisible powers of the river. This antique wooden paddle features a tapered, leaf-shaped blade decorated with finely incised geometric motifs, and a handle with a beautifully crafted end in the form of an openwork pommel, itself extended by a tapered element with complex openwork decoration, organized around a central star motif. Both sides of the blade feature a dense, rhythmic alternation of checkerboards, crosses, zigzags, interlacing, chevrons and disks, giving the whole a rich graphic quality.