West Africa, Nigeria, Nok culture, ca. 500 BCE. A terracotta head with the characteristic Nok features: triangular eyes with pierced pupils, heavy arched brows, a straight-cut hairline and a finely detailed coiffure.

The Nok culture appeared in Northern Nigeria around 1000 BCE and vanished under unknown circumstances around 300 CE. It produced the earliest known large-scale terracotta sculpture in sub-Saharan Africa and was among the first ironworking societies of the region. From the estate collection of Helena and Ladislas Segy, NYC.