A large Mumuye wooden sculpture with brown patina. The subject, a stylized figure characterized by a crest-like coiffure, most likely represents a protective male spirit. The determination of the gender in this type of artifacts is mainly determined by the shape of the auricles (the male has small cone shaped ones). These sculptures, associated with various functions in Mumuye society, are used by healers and diviners. Provenance: Parisian collection of the painter Arturo Carmassi (Lucca 1925 - Empoli 2015). This piece was purchased directly by Jacques Kerchache (1942 - 2001) around the mid-1980s.