African art > African statues : tribal fetish, maternity > Yoruba twins

Yoruba twins (N° 27671)

Statuettes of Ibeji twins embodying the missing child in African Yoruba art, wearing abiku, traditional protecric ornaments. Shiny mahogany patina, erosions.
In the language of the people Yoruba, ibeji means twin: ibi for born and eji for two. They represent the figure of a deceased twin. These African statuettes named ibeji are then treated as the missing child would have been. The mother has to look after them; she can wash and feed them regularly. If she dies, the remaining twin takes over. Considered much more than a physical representation of a loved one, the ibedji influences the life of the family, which is why the latter continues to address prayers and worship and libations.
There are indeed dozens of different stylistic currents for these famous pieces. A careful comparative study was conducted by Fausto Polo and Jean David in Catalogue of the Ibeji  

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OriginEx-collection belge
EthnyYoruba
Countrynigéria
Material(s)wood, metal
Height cm24
Width9 cm
Weight0.95 Kg

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