Ben Enwonwu’s Anyanwu: a symbol of Nigeria’s history comes to auction at Bonhams, estimates start at £400,000

Anyanwu, Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu MBE

An emblematic work of Nigeria’s cultural history will take centre stage at Bonhams’ forthcoming Modern and Contemporary African Art sale. On 21 October 2026 in London, the auction house will offer a monumental gilt-bronze cast of Anyanwu by Ben Enwonwu (1917–1994). Originally acquired from the artist’s family, this bronze makes its first appearance at auction, with an estimate of £400,000–£600,000, according to Bonhams.

Anyanwu, meaning “the eye of the sun” in Igbo, is an allegorical figure referring to a solar deity associated with good fortune, knowledge and wisdom in the Igbo religious tradition of Odinani. Enwonwu describes finding inspiration in his dreams before conceiving the sculpture in the mid-1950s: a supple, graceful female form rising from the sun in a brilliant shower of light.

Standing 2.19 metres tall, excluding its base, this slender female figure carries an ambition that extends beyond its sculptural presence. Its elongated, ascending form heralds Nigeria’s emergence as a political, economic and cultural force within Africa and the wider world. Anyanwu brings together aesthetic traditions rooted in Enwonwu’s Edo-Onitsha heritage and a modern sculptural language. The work soon becomes a diplomatic symbol. On 5 October 1966, six years after Nigeria’s independence, the government presents a version to the United Nations in support of world peace.

A leading figure of Nigerian modernism, Enwonwu features in Nigerian Modernism, presented at Tate Modern from October 2025 to May 2026 and curated by Osei Bonsu and Bilal Akkouche. His paintings and sculptures tell the story of twentieth-century Nigeria, through heritage, independence and cultural self-assertion. On the market, his painting Yoruba Woman in Blue fetches £686,200 at Bonhams in London in October 2023, reflecting collectors’ interest in his work.

This first auction appearance brings Anyanwu’s historical significance into dialogue with the value collectors place on it today. The bronze will be offered among the sale’s 152 lots, alongside works by Ladi Kwali, El Anatsui, Akinola Lasekan, Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga, Ouattara Watts, Moffat Takadiwa, Barthélémy Toguo and Zanele Muholi.