Ijo headdress in the shape of a crab - Niger Delta (Nigeria) - collection Roel & Paulien de Lange quantity

Description

Rare Ijo headdress in the shape of a crab from the Niger Delta, Nigeria - a powerful ceremonial artwork with deep symbolic meaning and a prestigious collecting history.

This impressive headdress, made of wood with traces of white, red and black pigments, depicts a stylised crab - a symbol of protection and renewed life force within the Ijo culture. Such sculptures were worn during ceremonial dances, where the wearer in a trance embodied the spirit of the ancestors or water gods. The sculptural form, harmonic balance and traces of use clearly show the ritual nature of this work.

Origin & meaning
Originating from the Collection Roel & Paulien de Lange, two leading Dutch gallery owners whose estate was auctioned in 2024 at Venduehuis The Hague in the special auction “Collection Roel & Paulien de Lange: The legacy of two devoted gallerists”.”
A similar headdress is mentioned in Arts d'Afrique Noire No. 75 (1990), underlining the rarity and documentation value of this specimen.

Dimensions & condition
Height without plinth 17 cm; width 46 cm; depth 24 cm; height including plinth 39 cm.
Good, stable condition with traces of age and use. Custom-made plinth is included.

The Roel & Paulien de Lange collection is a tribute to two dedicated gallery owners who played an important role in the Dutch art world for decades. Their passion for tribal and modern art is reflected in the quality, authenticity and diversity of the works they collected. The auction ‘Collection Roel & Paulien de Lange: The legacy of two devoted gallerists’ at Venduehuis The Hague brought together a selection of their life's work, of which this object was part.