Female twin figure "ere ibeji" in cowrie shell cape ·  Nigeria, Yoruba, Ilorin, Oyo · ID: 3036201

Description

wood, brown patina, black paint, camwood powder, stiff cape of fabric embroidered with cowrie shells, eyes with metal tags, stocky body with a big head, characterized by a broad mouth with thick lips, a flat nose and big eyes with arching eye-lashes, the coiffure arranged in four lobes with bow-shaped middle part, slightly dam., cracks (eyes), traces of old age (shells);
more than anywhere else, “ibeji” from Oyo can be found wearing cowrie coats. Cowrie shells were once legal tender in West Africa, and this gesture is an indication of the high regard paid to the deceased by his family, and the wealth of the family as well.

Comparing literature

Polo, Fausto, Enzyklopädie der Ibeji, 2008, ill. 520