Small in size, this anthropomorphic Bulul sculpture is representative of the great plastic sculptural skill achieved by the primitive Paleoindonesian Irogot-Ifugao people, who settled in the eastern mountains of the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
Known for their ancient practice of cannibalism and as head-cutters, the Ifugao have developed over time a great aesthetic and artistic sensitivity in many aspects of their life: from the geometrically stunning terracing of their rice fields to textiles and ritual sculpture.
The work exhibited here, representing the important rice deity Bulul, amazes with its great capacity for synthesis and the geometric mastery with which the play of crossed legs and arms has been resolved.
The dark, glossy patina, which reveals considerable signs of use, is also beautiful.