Ben Enwonwu’s Anyanwu has sold for £602,100 at Bonhams in London, setting an auction record for a sculpture by the Nigerian modernist, according to the auction house.

The gilt-bronze figure led the Modern & Contemporary African Art sale at New Bond Street on October 21, 2026. At nearly 2.2 metres tall, it was an imposing presence in the auction: a slender figure with outstretched arms, an elaborate headdress and a surface that catches the light along its patterned body. The price includes buyer’s premium.

A Figure of Nigeria’s Rising Confidence

Signed and dated 1958, Anyanwu belongs to the years immediately before Nigeria’s independence in 1960. Bonhams’ catalogue connects the work with Enwonwu’s vision of a nation coming into its own, drawing on womanhood as a symbol of nurture, growth and possibility. Those ideas take physical shape in the figure’s upward movement. The long body rises from a narrow point, while the curved arms extend outward rather than closing around the torso.

The sculpture measures 219 × 77 × 30 centimetres, excluding the base. Its details reward a closer look: necklaces frame the face, the torso carries a carefully worked pattern, and the narrow hands continue the flowing lines of the arms. Seen in full, the figure has an architectural presence; viewed closely, it reveals the smaller decisions that give that silhouette its character.

An Auction Debut with Family Provenance

The work came from a private Nigerian collection and had been acquired directly from Enwonwu’s family. This was its first appearance at auction, according to Bonhams. The resulting record is specifically for Enwonwu’s sculpture, rather than an overall artist record that would also include his paintings.

Bonhams reported seven records across the £3,347,050 sale. Giles Peppiatt, the auction house’s Group Head of Fine Art, UK, singled out Anyanwu for its cultural importance. Its £602,100 result made it the highest-selling lot of the auction, bringing a work conceived around national aspiration back into view through a new market milestone.

Source: Bonhams.

Also Read

Yusuf Grillo’s One Man Band Sets Artist Auction Record at £461,300

The World Art News (WAN) is not liable for the content of this publication. All statements and views expressed herein are opinions only. Act at your own risk. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission. © The World Art News