Female statue made of carved and profusely polychrome wood, adorned with the characteristic hairstyle of the masks of the secret society mmwo. It represents a mother queen, a notable ancestor figure, given its rich ornamentation and scarification on the face and breasts. She carries containers with sacred substances in her hands. The headdress is a superstructure in the form of a polychrome crest in red, black and yellow; her attire is completed with a small black skirt with geometric details; her body is covered with the whitish (kaolin) color typical of Igbo masks. These statues are placed in a prominent place in the pantheons of the ethnic group and in family altars.
Condition: Front parts of the feet and front area of the skirt are missing. The rest is in very good condition (it retains much of its original polychrome).
On a wooden base.

IGBO MOTHER QUEEN. MMWO SOCIETY
Nigeria, 20th century

The front parts of the feet and the front area of the skirt are missing; the rest of the piece is in very good condition and retains much of its original polychrome. It is presented on a wooden base.

The piece comes from the Igbo ethnic group of Nigeria, created in the early 20th century. These statues represent high-ranking female ancestral figures and are associated with the secret mmwo society, responsible for rituals and ceremonies of cultural importance. Their rich decoration symbolizes power, lineage, and the community's spiritual connection with its ancestors.