Carving, ibeji. Standing male on self-base with 2 horizontal grooves. Heavy encrustations around middle and feet. Rounded belly and pectoral muscles. Only nostrils and line between lips remain visible. Eyes are more evident although worn, holes are still visible. 2 columns of 4 coffee bean shapes on each cheek still visible. Very short legs, long torso, detailed toes. Slight vertical crack between buttocks and on base behind left heel. Ears set back on head with holes in lobes. Hair is brought up in four sections with braid-like areas at the top where sections meet. 8 strands of beads. 1 around neck with 5 blue beads and 1 red bead. 2 strands around waist of various sizes and colors. 1 strand around each wrist, each with many transparent blue and 1 red bead. Right ankle has 2 strands, black, red and tan. 1 strand on left ankle of tan and red beads. Colors of beads may signify the worship of specific orisha in the Yoruba pantheon.
Donor:
Berta Bascom
Collection place:
Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria
Verbatim coll. place:
W. Africa; Nigeria; Yoruba; Oyo
Culture or time period:
Yoruba
Collector:
Berta Bascom and William Russell Bascom
Collection date:
unknown
Materials:
Wood (plant material)
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Carvings (visual works) and Ere ibeji
Function:
5.1 Religion and Divination: Objects and garb associated with practices reflecting submission, devotion, obedience, and service to supernatural agencies
Accession date:
December 15, 1995
Context of use:
Traditionally carved upon the death of a twin or twins. The blue beads are likely to "cool" down the red ones.