Description:

West Africa, Nigeria, Yoruba culture, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A nude hand-carved wooden male figure, known as an Ibeji, representative of a twin, standing on an integral pedestal. The Yoruba have one of the highest numbers of twin births in the world, four times higher than in Europe, for example. The Yoruba believe that twins are two people who share one soul, if one dies, whether as a child or an adult, the surviving twin is considered to have little hope of living with only half a soul. A figure dedicated to the deity of twins is carved to be the earthly abode of the spirit of the deceased. Size: 3.125" W x 12.5" H (7.9 cm x 31.8 cm)

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private Maryland, USA collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#178893

  • Condition: Chips and loss to top of hair and left ear as shown. Stable pressure fissures on feet and arms. Light mineral encrustations on base and arms. Nice patina throughout.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

July 21, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 26.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000