Ibeji, substitute images in African art. Traditionally carved from iroko, the roots and leaves of which are also used for ritual purposes, this twin 'ere' (statue) figure wears metal adornments. Semi-satin mahogany patina. Desication crack. In the language of the Yoruba people, ibeji means twin: ibi for born and eji for two. They represent the figure of a deceased twin. Thisibedji is then treated as the missing child would have been. It is the mother who must take care of him; she can wash and feed him regularly. If she dies, the remaining twin takes over. It also happened that a man had ibeji carved for his wife in order to induce pregnancy. Support for the soul of the twin, the ibeji influences the life of the family, becoming a source of benefits for his parents, the latter continuing to send him prayers and to devote worship and libations to him. The occurrence of twinning is, among the Yoruba, stronger than anywhere else in Black Africa. This particularity therefore naturally influenced and integrated their statuary. A detailed comparative study of the different regional styles has been made by Fausto Polo and Jean David in the book Catalogue of the Ibeji.
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