Lot 137A
West Africa, Yoruba culture, Ibeji, Ca. early 20th century. These old and well-cared for examples of deceased male and female figures, known as Ibeji, most likely come from Osogbo or the Igbomina region of Yoruba land. Here we have a male/female pair of carved wood twins on integral bases with generous indigo pigment remaining on the surfaces and fine workmanship demonstrating the sculptor's painstaking attention to details, from their elaborately carved coiffures, scarification marks on both faces, not to mention the stunning Yoruba glass beadwork adorning each figure - the female's neck (mostly blue beads) and the male's belly (red and white). Size of male: 10.25" H (26 cm)
Beads were a sign of status and wealth among the Yoruba. The Yoruba have one of the highest number of twin births in the world, four times higher than in Europe, for example. Ibeji are known to the Yoruba as two people who share one soul. If one of the human twins dies, whether as a child or an adult, the surviving human twin is considered to have little hope of living with only half a soul. Further, the deceased's soul must have a place to reside. Wooden figures, like this pair, keep the souls of the twins together. When a matched pair of twins is made, it is an indication that both human twins have died. This pair shows darkened, worn, and smooth surfaces which convey the devotion and respect to the Ibeji spirit. "Ultimately, the surface of an Ibeji measures the object's spiritual value to the caregiver. The response of the Yoruba mothers and caregivers is primarily personal and spiritual, not aesthetic. Even an Ibeji carved by a mediocre artisan can develop a surface reflecting great efficacy to the believer. The wood is worked, fed, oiled, and clothed not so much to fulfill an aesthetic ideal but to fulfill a human need ".... from 'Ibeji Surface Analysis' by Charles Bordogna, in 'Surfaces' ed. Kahan, Page, Imperato, 2009 by Indiana Univ. Press. Thus, the Yoruba have traditionally had a high rate of multiple births and have always valued twins as special. When a twin dies, a figure dedicated to Ibeji, the deity of twins, is carved to be the earthly abode of the spirit of that twin. The figure is then nurtured by the mother and/or the surviving twin. In this pair we have a superb example in excellent condition. Size: each figure measures approximately 9.125" H (23.2 cm)
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection
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#190281
- Condition: Both intact, female with stress crack from top of head to pubis region. Nice old patina on each.
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