Terracotta, Tchad Lake - Height: 15 cm - Origin : private collection, France

This terracotta statuette representing a jovial, laughing human head was found on the border of 3 countries, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad. It is the work of artists from the Sao civilization, an ancient population that settled on the shores of Lake Chad from the Nile around the 9th century BC, until it was destroyed in the 15th century by nomads moving into the region.

The works of art, made of bronze, ceramics and terracotta, were originally highly decorated. From the earliest times, these fishing and farming peoples developed a renowned civilization, concerned with aesthetics and spirituality, paying homage to their ancestors. The Sao produced numerous objects in terracotta, as evidenced by the clay pipes, net weights, hunting implements and bracelets that have come down to us from this civilization. The human and animal representations are particularly striking: often limited to the head, as is the case here, they have a style found nowhere else in Black Africa. Extremely simple, this pottery certainly served a religious purpose.

The base is perfectly suited to the statuette. Retour De Voyage suggests displaying it on a shelf, perhaps under glass with lighting that will enhance its grace and beauty.