IMG_1114.jpg
IMG_1115.jpg
IMG_1116.jpg
IMG_1113.jpg
IMG_1114.jpg
IMG_1115.jpg
IMG_1116.jpg
IMG_1113.jpg

Yoruba Thorn Wood Figures - Labour & Craft

£65.00

These carved thorn wood figures originates from the Yoruba cultural region of Nigeria and date from the mid-to-late 20th century. The figure depicts a moment of everyday life, rendered with a simplified but expressive form that emphasises posture and movement.

The surface shows natural wear consistent with age and material, with a warm, matte patina developed through handling. Minor restoration has been undertaken where required to stabilise the carving, without obscuring signs of age.

Each figure is hand-carved and unique, making small variations and imperfections an essential part of its character.

This group focuses on scenes of labour and craft, depicting the everyday tasks that underpin domestic and community life. Carved with an emphasis on gesture and posture, these figures convey effort, rhythm, and repetition rather than fine detail. Together they form a quiet record of work as a shared, lived experience.

These carved thorn wood figures originates from the Yoruba cultural region of Nigeria and date from the mid-to-late 20th century. The figure depicts a moment of everyday life, rendered with a simplified but expressive form that emphasises posture and movement.

The surface shows natural wear consistent with age and material, with a warm, matte patina developed through handling. Minor restoration has been undertaken where required to stabilise the carving, without obscuring signs of age.

Each figure is hand-carved and unique, making small variations and imperfections an essential part of its character.

This group focuses on scenes of labour and craft, depicting the everyday tasks that underpin domestic and community life. Carved with an emphasis on gesture and posture, these figures convey effort, rhythm, and repetition rather than fine detail. Together they form a quiet record of work as a shared, lived experience.

Additional Information

  • Origin: Yoruba region, Nigeria

  • Date: Circa 1970s

  • Material: Thorn wood

  • Condition: Age-related wear; some figures sympathetically restored

  • The figures aresold in curated groups, as described

Display Suggestions

These figures work particularly well:

  • Displayed in small groups on shelves or cabinets

  • As part of a curated folk art or ethnographic collection

  • In a cabinet of curiosities or study

  • Alongside books, textiles, or ceramics from West Africa

Grouped together, they create a strong sense of narrative and movement