The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 13, 2025
Twin Figure (Ère Ìbejì)
late 1800s–early 1900s
Overall: 25.6 x 18.8 x 5.8 cm (10 1/16 x 7 3/8 x 2 5/16 in.)
Gift of Kim Sherwin 2016.9
Location: Not on view
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.- ?–2016Kim Sherwin2016–The Cleveland Museum of Art by gift
- Smith, Fred T., Judith Perani, Joseph L. Underwood, and Martha J. Ehrlich. The Visual Arts of Africa : Gender, Power, and Life Cycle Rituals. Second edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2022. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 169, no. 6.12
- {{cite web|title=Twin Figure (Ère Ìbejì)|url=false|author=|year=late 1800s–early 1900s|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2016.9