Yoruba Ibeji Ere Ibeji twin figures
Twins in African art
African art gave birth to famous statuettes of twins: the ibeji. The birth of twins is a auspicious event that signifies good fortune, but also carries the threat of duplicate problems. The Yoruba, with one of the highest twin birth rates in the world, consider these children to be sacred.
They must be given special attention. If they disappear soon after their birth, or even later, the diviner can force the parents to make figures in memory of the missing child or children. To show their love and devotion to the deceased, the parents ritually dress the sculpted figure, oil it, nourish it, caress it, dance with it, sing for it, get it up in the morning, and put it to bed in the evening for her. sleep.
These African statuettes have the particularity of being dressed in a fabric cape decorated with cowries. The condition of this pair of figures attests to the years of care and devotion they have received. Glass beads known as “milk pearls” also adorn their bodies.
This pair comes from a prestigious and still active Belgian private collection.
01437
Data sheet
- Presumed dating
- Mid XXth century
- Size
- 29 cm
- Ethnic group
- Material(s)
- Wood, accessories
- Country
- Origin
- Prestigious, verified collection, still active, Belgium
- Stand
- Included
- Condition
- Excellent
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Twins in African art
African art gave birth to famous statuettes of twins: the ibeji. The birth of twins is a auspicious event that signifies good fortune, but also carries the threat of duplicate problems. The Yoruba, with one of the highest twin birth rates in the world, consider these children to be sacred.
They must be given special attention. If they disappear soon after their birth, or even later, the diviner can force the parents to make figures in memory of the missing child or children. To show their love and devotion to the deceased, the parents ritually dress the sculpted figure, oil it, nourish it, caress it, dance with it, sing for it, get it up in the morning, and put it to bed in the evening for her. sleep.
These African statuettes have the particularity of being dressed in a fabric cape decorated with cowries. The condition of this pair of figures attests to the years of care and devotion they have received. Glass beads known as “milk pearls” also adorn their bodies.
This pair comes from a prestigious and still active Belgian private collection.