Nok Male Figure
Object or Group Name
Nok Male Figure
Case Summary
The early Iron Age Nok culture was centred around today's town of Nok, central Nigeria. Known for both elaborate iron working and stylistically unique terracotta sculpture, the sculptures have attracted collector attention since the 1940s. They are therefore listed as 'high-risk' on the ICOM 'Red List' for Nigeria.
In August, 1994, this particular male figure was allegedly sold by Kofi Hassan, of Kafanchan, Nigeria to dealer Charles Jones, of Wilmington, NC.
On December 9, 1994, Jones sold it through the Davis Gallery, New Orleans, to William and Bertha Teel, private collectors in Marblehead, MA. In 2014, William Teel bequeathed the figure to the Boston Museum of Fine Art as part of a 300 item bequest.
As Boston MFA's curators researched the bequest they contacted the office of the Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria. Nigerian authorities refuted the authenticity of an export permit from Nigeria that had been provided by Jones.
The Boston MFA deaccessioned the male figure and several other objects in the bequest and transferred them to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In August, 1994, this particular male figure was allegedly sold by Kofi Hassan, of Kafanchan, Nigeria to dealer Charles Jones, of Wilmington, NC.
On December 9, 1994, Jones sold it through the Davis Gallery, New Orleans, to William and Bertha Teel, private collectors in Marblehead, MA. In 2014, William Teel bequeathed the figure to the Boston Museum of Fine Art as part of a 300 item bequest.
As Boston MFA's curators researched the bequest they contacted the office of the Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria. Nigerian authorities refuted the authenticity of an export permit from Nigeria that had been provided by Jones.
The Boston MFA deaccessioned the male figure and several other objects in the bequest and transferred them to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
See Also
Number of Objects
1
Object Type
Sculpture – statues, carvings, bronzes, reliefs, figurines
Culture
Nok
Private Collector
William and Bertha Teel
Museum Name
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum Accession Number
APP.2014.224
Receiving Country
Nigeria
Sources
The Boston MFA Returns 8 Looted Antiquities To Nigeria
https://web.archive.org/web/20140629075218/http://artery.wbur.org/2014/06/26/mfa-returns-antiquities-nigeria
MFA Boston. Nok Male Figure.
https://collections.mfa.org/objects/23982/male-figure?ctx=1e52f086-f167-4451-a6da-4943ba1aba2d&idx=1
Boston MFA’s Provenance Research Reveals The Illicit Trade In African Antiquities
https://chasingaphrodite.com/2014/07/30/boston-mfas-provenance-research-reveals-the-illicit-trade-in-african-antiquities/
Images
MOLA Contributor(s)
Jason Felch; Damien Huffer
Peer Reviewed By
Damien Huffer
Citation
“Nok Male Figure,” Museum of Looted Antiquities, accessed October 14, 2024, https://mola.omeka.net/items/show/999.