West Africa, Yoruba culture, Ibeji, ca. early 20th century. A pair of hand-carved wooden figures, most likely from Osogbo or the Igbomina region of Yorubaland (spanning Nigeria, Togo, and Benin), depicting a male and female twin. The figures have similar faces, with large, bulging eyes and prominent noses and mouths; both have tall, conical coiffures with incised decoration colored with deep blue pigment. The figures are decorated with beaded jewelry and have large bronze anklets. Size of largest (they are very similar in size): 3.15" W x 11.25" H (8 cm x 28.6 cm)
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. When a twin dies, a figure dedicated to Ibeji, the deity of twins, is carved to be the earthly abode of the spirit of that twin. Wooden figures like these are created to keep the souls of the twins together.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex private East Coast, USA collection
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#129677
Condition
Small cracks on surface, with tiny losses around edges of cracks. Patina from age and handling on wood, metal, and bead surfaces. Light encrustation in lower profile areas.