BURA ART, Niger

BURA Terracotta Heads

BURA Terracotta Heads

BURA Terracotta Heads

BURA Terracotta Heads

BURA Stone Heads

BURA Stone Heads

BURA Stone Heads

BURA Stone Heads

BURA Clay Vessels

BURA Clay Vessels

BURA Clay Vessels

BURA Clay Vessels

BURA Fragments

BURA Fragments

BURA Fragments

BURA Fragments

Little is known of the Bura civilization (ca. 3rd - 11th centuries), which was first discovered in 1975, excavations began in 1983. Most of the objects dug up are terra cotta heads or vessels. There are also some stone heads.

Our Bura terra cotta heads and fragments have been vetted as authentic but have not been tested by thermoluminesence, which would cost more than the pieces sell for.

The stone heads, which cannot be tested, were purchased from the same sources as the Bura terracotta pieces which have been vetted as authentic. Some may have been recarved, or incised lines could have been added or deepened. Some could possibly have been made to be sold.  All of them that we have seen are similar to ours, whether at auctions or at other galleries. All have a shaft form so they were probably placed in the ground.

The vessels almost all have damage. Many have native repairs and attempts at restoration. This does not show up on photographs, except for the frequently mismatched pairings of fragments. We can provide additional photographs if necessary.