Kneeling pair of figures "onile"
Nigeria, Yoruba
sold
EUR 3,500
Provenance
German Private Collection, Hamburg, collected in situ (1959 - 1965)Size
H: 29,5 cm
H: 11.6 inch
Description
brass with patina, nearly identical, the male figure with pipe, min. dam., small missing parts, slight traces of corrosion;
regardless of their seize, the “onile” which were especially consecrated, were more powerful than the “edan” couples. They were hidden inside of “ogboni” houses (“iledi”). They symbolize the founders of the community. According to Witte they were used for delivering decisive messages in case of conflicts between “ogboni” members. The figure was wrapped in a cloth and sent to a person who had something to answer for. A white parrot feather indicated that the matter could be settled amicably, but a red feather was an outright threat of condemnation.