House of the head "ile ori"

Description

leather, fabric, cowrie snails, cylindrical receptacle, coated with cloth and embroidered with cowrie shells, adorned with mirror glass (partly missing), surmounted by (later) attached bird, min. dam., traces of insect caused damage and usage, cracks.
Throughout Yorubaland, a person venerates his or her “ori-inu” (“inner head”), a personal spirit that guides an individual’s destiny. The symbol of the inner head is a small conical object, which is in turn secreted in a larger container with a conical lid called “ile-ori”, literally, “house of the head.” The “ile-ori” serves as a shrine to the “ori-inu”. Both the cowrie ornamentation and the conical shape are significant. Because of the association of cowries with currency and wealth, the cowrie-decorated “ile-ori” shrine honours the “ori-inu” and elevates the prestige of the owner.

Publications

AHDRC: 0147192