Nok terracotta sculptures

E934582
Iron Age artifact West African art archaeological artifact terracotta sculpture

Nok terracotta sculptures are ancient West African clay figures, dating from around 1500 BCE to 500 CE in present-day Nigeria, renowned for their stylized human and animal forms and significance as some of the earliest known sculptures in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Nok terracotta figurines 1

Statements (53)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Iron Age artifact ⓘ
West African art ⓘ
archaeological artifact ⓘ
terracotta sculpture ⓘ
associatedWith Nok people NERFINISHED ⓘ
early iron-working communities in Nigeria ⓘ
chronologyEstablishedBy radiocarbon dating of associated materials ⓘ
thermoluminescence dating ⓘ
culture Nok culture NERFINISHED ⓘ
discoveredIn 1920s ⓘ
earliestDate circa 1500 BCE ⓘ
exhibitedAt National Commission for Museums and Monuments collections in Nigeria NERFINISHED ⓘ
National Museum Lagos NERFINISHED ⓘ
firstReportedBy archaeologist Bernard Fagg NERFINISHED ⓘ
foundIn Kaduna State NERFINISHED ⓘ
Nasarawa State NERFINISHED ⓘ
Plateau State NERFINISHED ⓘ
central Nigeria ⓘ
function possible ancestor figures ⓘ
possible grave goods ⓘ
possible ritual objects ⓘ
possible status symbols ⓘ
influenced Benin art (possible influence, debated) ⓘ
Ifẹ art (possible influence, debated) NERFINISHED ⓘ
later West African sculptural traditions ⓘ
latestDate circa 500 CE ⓘ
locatedIn West Africa NERFINISHED ⓘ
present-day Nigeria NERFINISHED ⓘ
material clay ⓘ
terracotta ⓘ
notableFor detailed facial features ⓘ
elaborate hairstyles ⓘ
hollow construction ⓘ
jewelry depiction ⓘ
one of the earliest known sculptural traditions in sub-Saharan Africa ⓘ
perforated eyes ⓘ
stylized animal figures ⓘ
stylized human figures ⓘ
triangular or almond-shaped eyes ⓘ
tubular limbs ⓘ
partOf Nok archaeological culture NERFINISHED ⓘ
significance important for understanding early iron-age West Africa ⓘ
key evidence for early complex societies in central Nigeria ⓘ
style emphasis on head and facial features ⓘ
geometric abstraction ⓘ
highly stylized representation ⓘ
subjectMatter animal figures ⓘ
full human figures ⓘ
human heads ⓘ
mythical or composite creatures ⓘ
seated figures ⓘ
threatenedBy illegal antiquities trade ⓘ
looting ⓘ

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

National Museum Lagos → hasCollection → Nok terracotta sculptures ⓘ
National Museum Jos → notableFor → Nok terracotta sculptures ⓘ
National Museum Jos → hasExhibit → Nok terracotta sculptures ⓘ
this entity surface form: Nok terracotta figurines