Menu
EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THB2 Early 20th C. African Yoruba Ibeji Wood Figures
Lot 84
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Categories
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$900 - $1,400
Absentee vs Live bid
Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Feb 25, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-02-25 10:00:00
2021-02-25 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : American Frontier | Ethnographic | Tribal Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/american-frontier-ethnographic-tribal-art-6449
Featuring historical examples from the American, Spanish, and Mexican frontiers, as well as Native American, Ethnographic, Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, more. All items offered for sale have been legally acquired, are legal to sell and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring historical examples from the American, Spanish, and Mexican frontiers, as well as Native American, Ethnographic, Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, more. All items offered for sale have been legally acquired, are legal to sell and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (286)
- Lot Description
West Africa, Nigeria, Yoruba peoples, ca. early to mid 20th century CE. A wonderful pair of hand-carved wooden female "ibeji" figures depicted standing on ovoid plinths with their hands on their hips and embellished with paint of vibrant cobalt blue. The first wears a tall, striped headdress that towers over her stylized visage of almond-shaped eyes with metal nails as pupils, long eyelashes, a flat nose, and full lips held in a smile. Horizontal and vertical incised striations decorate her face, likely intended to depict face paint or ritual scarification. A necklace of red glass trade beads hangs over her square shoulders. The second displays a round face with bulging eyes, a triangular nose, protruding lips, and high-set ears, all capped by an elaborate headdress of four pillars with a central circle. A pair of bracelets adorns each of her wrists, one comprised of red barrel-shaped glass trade beads with blue and white stripes and the other an aluminum wire. Size: 3.5" in diameter x 11.625" H (8.9 cm x 29.5 cm)
Both figures exhibit voluminous posteriors, pointed breasts, short legs, elongated torsos, and sizable feet with clearly incised toes.
The Yoruba have traditionally had a high rate of multiple births and have always valued twins as special. When one twin dies, a figure dedicated to Ibeji, - the deity of twins - is carved to be the earthly abode of the spirit of that twin. The figure is then nurtured by the mother and/or the surviving twin. The Yoruba have one of the highest number of twin births in the world, four times higher than in Europe, for example. Ibeji are known to the Yoruba as two people who share one soul. If one of the human twins dies, whether as a child or an adult, the surviving human twin is considered to have little hope of living with only half a soul. Further, the deceased's soul must have a place to reside. Hence, a figure dedicated to Ibeji is carved to shelter the spirit of the deceased twin.
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#162214Base of larger has been repaired from two to three pieces with collection label on bottom. Expected stable fissures with clay covering some break lines, minor nicks/chips, and light abrasions, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with lovely earthen deposits and liberal remains of pigment.Condition
- Shipping Info
-
All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
-
- Buyer's Premium
