155 - Yoruba people, Nigeria

Yoruba people, Nigeria Pair of Ibeji statuettes Wood with brown and black patina Late 19th–early 20th century H. 25 cm (each) In good overall condition; a harmonious pair of fine workmanship. Pair of Ibeji statuettes depicting the twins Taiwo and Kehinde, standing on an oval base. A striated conical headdress surmounts a face with bulging, pierced eyes, a straight nose, and a slightly parted mouth revealing the teeth. The arms, rendered as broad, open loops, rest along the body. Beautiful contrasting patina—brown on the body and darker on the face and headdress—resulting from repeated ritual anointings and handling specific to the cult of the twins. Among the Yoruba, who have one of the highest twin birth rates in the world, twins are the subject of a special cult. Upon the death of one of them, an ibeji statuette is carved to house their soul; the mother feeds, washes, and anoints it regularly. This pair depicts the twins Taiwo and Kehinde, standing on an oval base, with striated conical headdresses, bulging eyes with pierced pupils, and arms rendered as broad loops. The contrasting patina—darker on the face and headdress—is the result of these repeated anointings. A harmonious pair, beautifully crafted.