98 - Pair of Edan sculptures. Yoruba culture, Nigeria, 20th century.

Pair of Edan sculptures. Yoruba culture, Nigeria, 20th century. Bronze. On a wooden base. Measurements: 31.5 x 7 x 46 cm. Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. Pair of Edan Ogboni ritual figures, belonging to the artistic tradition of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, cast in bronze using the lost-wax casting technique. They depict two anthropomorphic figures, male and female, characterized by their stylized bodies, heads with pronounced proportions, and faces with hieratic expressions. Notable features include the elaborate conical headdresses, the facial incisions, and the symbolic attributes they hold in their hands—elements that reflect the profound spiritual significance of these representations. The Edan sculptures are closely linked to the Ogboni society, a traditional Yoruba institution of a religious, political, and judicial nature, whose members played an important role in preserving social order, administering justice, and worshiping the earth, personified by the deity Onilé. Usually conceived as a male and female pair, these figures symbolize the complementarity of the masculine and feminine principles, cosmic balance, and spiritual authority. Their use was reserved for specific ceremonial contexts, in which they served as emblems of belonging, legitimacy, and power. Anatomical stylization, the geometric treatment of forms, and the expressive intensity of the faces are characteristic features of Yoruba ritual sculpture. Due to their symbolic power and unique formal language, these pieces represent an intriguing manifestation of the West African sculptural tradition, whose artistic and cultural value has sparked considerable interest among collectors of African art.