House of the head "ile ori" · Nigeria, Yoruba · ID: 3052283

Name: House of the head "ile ori"
SKU: 3052283
Availability: Discontinued

not available anymore

Provenance

Herbert Hamak, Hammelburg, Germany

Size

H: 42 cm

H: 16.5 inch

Description

leather, fabric, cowrie snails,

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”.

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.

The object House of the head “ile ori” with the object ID 3052283 was last part of the auction Collectors’ Items Sale at September 24, 2025 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 224.

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