Description:

West Africa, Nigeria, Yoruba people, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A hand-carved wooden Ibeji figure of a man, standing nude with attenuated legs and genitalia exposed atop a discoidal base. He holds both arms to his waist, while atop his rounded shoulders is an elongated head and crested coiffure with carved facial features: bulging eyes, a broad nose, slightly parted lips, and incised scarification grooves on his cheeks and around his eyes. Strung on a cord and coiled around his waist and neck are black and blue beads hand-carved from wood and 2 glass red beads. 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. Size: 2.75" L x 2.5" W x 9" H (7 cm x 6.4 cm x 22.9 cm)

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection

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#172454

  • Condition: Old losses and abrasions to head, base, and legs. Light mineral deposits on base. Nice patina throughout.

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December 15, 2022 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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