Description:

West Africa, Nigeria or Benin, Yoruba people, ca. early to mid 20th century CE. Made of cowrie shells sewn in tight rows over a wooden and textile framework, and featuring four embedded mirrors, this is an ile ore, a "house of the head", designed to contain what we might call a person's soul or inner essence, which the Yoruba believe lives inside the head. Shells are signs of wealth while the textile covered bird perched at the top signifies royalty and mystical powers. Size: 8.5" W x 25" H (21.6 cm x 63.5 cm); 27.5" H (69.8 cm) on included custom stand.

See a very similar example at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (97.110).

Provenance: private Glendale, Arizona, USA collection, collected from 1970 to 2000

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#152409

  • Condition: Rich patina on all areas. Textiles have some small tears/losses. Something may be missing from the very top based on the relative lack of wear on the exposed stick. The mirrors have a few small cracks but all components are present.

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February 27, 2020 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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