Artwork Page for Twin Figure (Ère Ìbejì)

Details / Information for Twin Figure (Ère Ìbejì)

Twin Figure (Ère Ìbejì)

late 1800s–early 1900s

Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker

Medium
Wood, copper alloy, iron alloy, lead, glass beads, cowrie shells, twine, and pigment
Measurements
Overall: 25.6 x 18.8 x 5.8 cm (10 1/16 x 7 3/8 x 2 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Kim Sherwin 2016.9
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

This figure commemorates a twin that has died in infancy.

Description

Such a figure is carved when a twin dies in infancy and serves as a memorial to the surviving sibling. These twin figures are always carved to look like adult individuals with idealized physical features. Various body adornments suggest the care parents devote to their children, while the erosion of facial features indicates the symbolic washing and feeding of the figure as a means to connect the soul of the deceased to that of the living twin.

Twin Figure (Ère Ìbejì)

late 1800s–early 1900s

Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.