Kneeling female figure "onile" · Nigeria, Yoruba · ID: 3031103
sold
EUR 310
Provenance
Inge Hett, Berlin, GermanyVera und Wolfgang Nerlich, Munich, Germany
Size
H: 15 cm
H: 5.9 inch
Description
brass, patina, showing the typical “ogboni” gesture, eyelet for support, traces of corrosion, encrusted with clay;
“onile” figures were kept inside the “oshugbo” houses. They symbolize the founders of the community. According to Witte they were used for delivering decisive messages in case of conflict between “ogboni” members.
Comparing literature
Witte, Hans, A Closer Look, Berg en Dal 2004, p. 153