Male twin figure "ere ibeji" in cowrie cape ·  Nigeria, Yoruba, Oyo · ID: 3033173

Description

wood, middle brown patina, camwood powder “osun”, indigo blue paint, elongated head with a four-lobed high towering coiffure, lancet-shaped tribal marks on forehead and cheeks, tapering mouth, drilled pupils, typical marks on the abdomen, grooved ornamentation running around the base, slightly dam., abrasion of paint, washing patina; three-parted cape of several layers of fabric, originally sewn with cowrie snails all over (now missing in some areas), dam.;
in the style of the “Igbuke” family of carvers.
More than anywhere else, “ibeji” from Oyo can be found wearing cowry coats. Cowry 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.

The object Male twin figure “ere ibeji” in cowrie cape with the object ID 3033173 was last part of the auction 70th tribal art auction at September 8, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 330 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,200.

You can find more Figures and other popular object types on our related topic pages. You may also be interested in our page on African art.

Comparing literature

Stoll, Gert, Ibeji, Zwillingfiguren der Yoruba, München 1980, p. 161, ill. 57