A serene, contemplative air.
An aesthetically beautiful figure of a woman or a man. It is very difficult to tell here. The ornamentation on the face – the meaning of which is unclear to various authors (is it a transparent net or a tattoo?) – makes it impossible to determine the gender, as the bust of a woman already suggests.
This small head was difficult to analyse, and ultimately, of the three samples taken, the one dating back 370 years proved decisive, as two of the samples indicated recent material. From the rear view, the connoisseur can see that the excavation was subsequently expertly modelled. The same applies to the lower edge of the neck. Upon closer inspection, a strip of added material is visible at both the upper and lower edges, from which two of the samples were taken.
The surface was polished to a very fine finish to conceal any visible transitions. The restoration, carried out in Nigeria, was very successful and had a positive effect on the patient’s serene expression.
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