Twin Figures (Ere Ibeji)
<p>The Yoruba of Nigeria believe that twins possess special powers and bring good fortune to those who honor them properly. However, babies birthed in multiples have an increased risk of dying during infancy. Figures like these, called ère ìbejì, are memorials to deceased twins. When one twin dies, a single sculpture is commissioned; if both infants die, a sculptor creates two. The figures are ritually washed, dressed, and offered favorite foods. The heads of this pair have been repeatedly bathed with indigo, symbolizing the calming of the spirit’s inner being.</p>
Catalogue
- Year
- 1900
- Dimensions
- 1982.1514: 26.7 × 8.9 × 8.3 cm (10 1/2 × 3 1/2 × 3 1/4 in.); 1982.1513 : 26.1 × 8.3 × 7.7 cm (10 1/4 × 3 1/4 × 3 in.)
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Artist
- Yoruba
Artist
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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Record
Verified by WattsOSSource
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Source
- aic
- Reference
- View at source
- Status
- verified