Pair of beaded panels ·  Nigeria, Yoruba · ID: 3052243

Description

fabric, polychrome miniature glass beads, thread, mounted on metal frames

Possibly used as dance panels “yata”, which were worn in pairs on the hips on crossed straps. They were used in honour of various Yoruba deities (“orisha”) at annual festivals (according to Witte, 2004, p. 234).

It is also conceivable that these panels once formed front and back of an “apo ileke” bag, as used by the sorcerer “babalawo” to store important utensils for divination (cf. Drewal, 1998, p. 234).

The object Pair of beaded panels with the object ID 3052243 was part of the auction Auction 105 on November 15, 2025. The object with the lot number 321 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,000 with an asking price of EUR 1,000.

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Comparing literature

Witte, Hans, A Closer Look, Berg en Dal 2004 Drewal, Henry John & John Mason, Beads, Body and Soul, Los Angeles 1998, p. 244