Thorn Carving
About this object
History of use
Thorn carvings are miniatures depicting a variety of scenes from Nigerian life. The carvings first began to be made circa 1930. The thorns vary in size; they can be as large as 12.7 cm long and 9.6 cm wide. The thorn wood is comparatively soft and easy to carve; they are traditionally carved by men.
Cultural context
craft; tourist art
Specific techniques
The light yellow-brown thorn and the dark brown thorn come from the ata tree; the light red-brown thorn comes from egun trees. The parts are glued together with viscous paste made that was made from rice cooked with water.
Physical description
Two figures representing women pounding yams in a bowl in between them with a stick in both hands. One woman is holding her stick above the bowl as the other woman is pounding her stick in the bowl. The women are sitting on a cylindrical object tapering upward. The knees are bent so that the legs are angled frontward and outward. Clothes are of a lighter wood colour than the body. Carved in pieces which are then glued together. On a wood base.