Solid and stylized male and female figures, called alusi, represent Igbo familial and communal deities and ancestors. To honor these divinities, artists carved figures with the attributes denoting the finest human accomplishment: male figures are patterned with the ichi marks of a titleholder, while female figures are adorned with elaborate hairstyles, jewelry such as ringed brass anklets, and body markings. The markings on this 19th-century female figure have faded over time, but close inspection of the torso reveals a vertical arrangement of delicately carved curvilinear designs. These faint marks may well refer to mbubu—scarification patterns chosen by some women to beautify their bodies and proclaim their maturity and respectability.