African Art

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African Art
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dundun and bata
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Yoruban art
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View this to find out about the Yoruban People
http//www.uiowa.edu/africart/toc/people/Yoruba.h
tml
http//www.yorubareligion.org/gallery/phil.html Vi
ew this site to read the philosophy of Yoruban
Art.
http//www.hamillgallery.com/YORUBA/Yoruba.html C
lick here to view a gallery of Yoruban Art.
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One of the most interesting belief systems of the
Yoruba has to do with the Ire Ibeji figures. A
study of Yoruba art, as well as the art of any
other people, reveals the way the society
conducted itself and provides a clue of the
belief system as well as the knowledge base of
the people. One of the most interesting belief
systems of the Yoruba has to do with the Ire
Ibeji figures. The Yoruba believe that the soul
is given at the moment of conception. If a
fertilized egg divides and forms twins or
triplets, the soul is divided among the babies.
Thus, each twin or triplet shares a common soul.
If one of the children dies, the other
child/children is/are also in danger of dying,
because the partial soul of the deceased baby
will try to seduce the remaining partial-soul to
join it for the journey to the next life. If the
seduction is successful, the other child/children
will die as well. Ire Ibeji figures, some of
which are featured in this show, are carved to
serve as dwelling places for the partial souls of
deceased twins, thus protecting the surviving
children.
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Yoruban Sculpture
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Yoruban Crowns
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Orisha festival in Ikirun
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These crowns are from the Yoruba people of
Nigeria.  It would be part of a royal costume.
Many crowns are brightly colored with added
animals and birds. All of the patterns are
created with tiny seed beads. The bird at the top
is a sign of wisdom and appears on may crowns
such as this one. The crowns were circled with a
veil of beads that would partially hide the
face.  A beaded vest and staff would be worn with
the crown. A veil of beads would obscure the face
of the king protect the viewers from his gaze.
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The most important part of a Yoruba king's
regalia (costume or clothing) is the crown (ade
in Yoruba). the beaded fringe shields the face of
the ruler, not only to hide his identity, but
also to protect the viewer from the power of the
king's direct gaze.  the symbolic power of the
crown is reinforced by figures of birds on top
and around the crown.  The birds refer to the
great "mothers" or witches whose power and
supernatural force the ruler was held to share. 
the bird itself is said to represent the royal
okin (paradise flycatcher), a small whitish bird
that is a symbol of royalty because the adult
male grows   majestic long white tale streamers. 
The prominent positioning of this bird on the
royal crown thus appears to strengthen the king's
difference in power and status from other
people.  The striking height of these crowns also
adds to the royal and sacred authority (Blier,
1998).  Photo credit  From The Royal Arts of
Africa by Suzanne Preston Blier, 1998. 
Photograph by John Pemberton III, Amherst, MA
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How can you make a sculpture of an ancestor
figure OR a crown for a leader using some of the
ideas and materials of the Yoruba People?
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Student Work By Multicultural Art Students _at_
Alleghany High school
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