Tiv Pipe, Monkey Form

A great variety of fanciful well used pipes were once in wide use among the Tiv of Nigeria. Figurative elements ranged from male sexual imagery to zoomorphic heads, references to firearms and fanciful geometric details all within a basic functional form. This lovely example features a sweetly abstract simian head with steel tack eyes as the masthead to an ergonomic masterpiece of counterbalanced curves, wood and steel elements. The complex geometric carving on the bottom is a bit of a mystery. It is plainly integral to the over all design as its rich patination matches that of the whole, but its meaning is obscure. 14.5″ long; custom base.

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