West Africa, Yoruba, ca. early 20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden female "ere ibeji" figure, most likely from Osogbo or the Igbomina region of Yorubaland (spanning Nigeria, Togo, and Benin), standing with both arms and hands at her sides upon an integral base. She presents with large, pendulous breasts and delineated genitalia, scarification marks surrounding the area, rounded shoulders, extremely long arms with exaggeratedly large hands, an elongated face delineated with large bulging eyes, full lips, a wide, low relief nose, cup-shaped, pierced ears, scarification marks on her cheeks, all crowned with a tall and meticulously incised coiffure. She is bedecked with a strand of blue beads around her neck, a sign of her elite status. A wonderful example with a very rich and lustrous dark patina indicative of use and care. Size: 10" H (25.4 cm)

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: Adeon Gallery, Chicago, Illinois USA, acquired prior to 1970.

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#122781

Inactive insect losses to feet, base, coiffure, underarm regions, one shoulder, and hands as shown. A few other tiny nicks here and there. Amazingly rich, dark, lustrous patina.