Veranda post
Nigeria, Yoruba
sold
EUR 600
Size
H: 105 cm
H: 41.3 inch
Description
wood, polychrome paint, divided in cylindrical sections, carved with ornaments in flat relief, slightly dam., rep. (ear of the horse on the right), on wooden disc;
Yoruba palaces contain numerous courtyards, each of which are used for certain religious or social court ceremonies. Traditionally they have overhanging roofs which are supported by pillars and discharge rainwater into a central basin. The ceremonial nature of the courtyards is confirmed by the sculpture on the pillars, in which certain themes constantly recur - especially the warrior on horseback (symbolizing the king’s ancestor) and the mother breast-feeding her baby (an allegory of fertility and prosperity).