The Thinker

Nok It is not an ethnic group, it is a small town in central Nigeria, whose influence has marked an area as wide as Portugal, thanks to its tin mines, its domination of foundry and forging and especially sculpture and ceramics. Many of the works of terracotta were carved in hard clay before passing to its cooking in the oven.

The terracottas Nok have been dated, mostly, between the centuries IV A.C. a II D.C. Different styles have appeared but the data necessary to know whether they correspond to one or several cultures are not available, as they have been found almost interchangeably in the different excavation centers. This great diversity of styles suggests that they have been able to devote themselves to different purposes, funeral or cult.

Of many of the pieces appear only pieces, heads and other fragments, because they are extracted digging in lands of alluvium. Erosion is also important, so much of the pieces appear polished or broken. The statues that appear whole are rare, hence the high price they reach in the art market. Most of the characters of the figures that have appeared whole, is presented in a rich dress and ornamentation that indicates their belonging to a high social class, high dignitaries, philosophers and notable, as well as zoomorph representations, like the elephant. This occurs at a time when the rest of Africa begins the Neolithic, which suggests that the Nok could receive direct influence from the Egyptians. So far they are the oldest pieces in black Africa. The wonderful terracottas found for just seventy years show the advance of knowledge of pottery, the mastery of fire and clay cooking, in addition to the extraordinary artistic qualities that reflect their sculptures. But the Nok they have not worked only mud and stone.

The diversity of the works found is important, grouped mainly in three styles, Classic, Sokoto and Katsina, these last two styles correspond to the cities of the same name in northern Nigeria, where numerous pieces with variations of the style have been found.

Regardless of the style there are several common features that allow classifying a statue as belonging to culture Nok. The configuration of the eyes and eyebrows as well as the perforations of the eyes, noses and ears is a characteristic, more or less marked, common to most works.

The elaborate hairstyle of this piece, its elongated head, its rich clothing and the jewels it carries, collars on the neck and pectoral jewels, bracelets on the wrists, knees and ankles, its big eyes and its eyebrows and jumping mouth, are indications that would allow to classify this work as Katsina style, very similar to the classic style of the same period.

This man, sitting on what might look like an inverted pot, classic in the statuary Nok, has the head leaned on the fist of the right hand in turn leaning on the leg, elements that classify this piece as a Thinker. Under the right leg you cross the left, over which you highlight the end of the skirt.

A curious fact is the leopard's head that he holds with his left hand. The leopard has always been a real symbol in the various Nigerian courts. Could it be a real character?

This statue was acquired in Niamey (Nigeria) by the important Togolese antiquarian Idi Ayouba, resident in Senegal, who shortly before dying passed the pieces of his collection to the also important Senegalese antiquarian Mamadou Moustapha Diop, father of Mamadou Marema Diop, antiquarian known to most of the most important African art collectors in Spain, and advisor at several African art exhibitions of several of these collectors in Almuñécar, Granada, Córdoba, Dos Hermanas, Tarifa and the Picasso and African Art exhibition in Tenerife, among others.

This statue shows the wear and tear suffered in the burial.