Pair of female twin figures "ere ibeji" in cowrie shell cape · Nigeria, Yoruba, Offa, Igbomina · ID: 3034218
sold
EUR 1,800
Provenance
Kegel-Konietzko, Hamburg, GermanySize
H: 29,5 cm resp. 31 cm
H: 11.6 inch resp. 12.2 inch
Description
wood, dark brown patina, indigo blue pigment, encrustation with “osun” (camwood powder), two strings of glass beads/one string with coconut discs, lowered eyelids, tapering mouth, big zoomorphic ears, high towering headdresses, upper part of the body and upper arms with vertical incisions, slightly dam., cracks, missing parts through insect caused damage (coiffure of one of the figures on the back);
cowry shells were once legal tender in West Africa. Cowrie shell capes like the present are an indication of the high regard paid to the deceased by his family, and the wealth of the family as well.
Comparing literature
Polo, Fausto, Enzyklopädie der Ibeji, o. J. 2008, ill. 613