Crown (Ade)

YorubaWW-1875-142524

1875·Glass beads, fabric, thread, and copper alloy·142.9 × 50.8 × 47.7 cm (56 1/4 × 20 × 18 3/4 in.)

<p>This elaborate conical crown once belonged to the king of Idowa. It refers to the inner head (<em>ori inu</em>) or spiritual essence of a Yoruba ruler. The faces outlined with beads establish a link to past kings, who serve as influential ancestors to the present one. The beaded veil protects onlookers from the king’s potent gaze while multiple three-dimensional birds allude to the supernatural powers of women.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1875
Medium: Glass beads, fabric, thread, and copper alloy
Dimensions: 142.9 × 50.8 × 47.7 cm (56 1/4 × 20 × 18 3/4 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Yoruba

Artist

Yoruba

Textile

Yoruba is an Atlantic–Congo language that is spoken in West Africa, primarily in South West Nigeria, Benin, and parts of Togo. It is spoken by the Yoruba people. Yoruba speakers number roughly 50 million, including around 2 million second-language or L2 speakers. As a pluricentric language, it is primarily spoken in a dialectal area spanning Nigeria, Benin, and Togo with smaller migrated communities in Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia.

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