ClassificationsAfrican Art

Female Twin Memorial Figure, Ere Ibeji

Place CreatedNigeria, Africa

CultureYoruba, Oyo, Ogbomoso or Ilobu

Dateearly 20th Century

MediumWood, pigment

Credit LineEx coll. William S. Arnett

Dimensions12 x 3 1/4 x 2 3/4 in. (30.5 x 8.3 x 7 cm)

Object number1994.004.722

Label TextAccording to the Yoruba peoples of Nigeria, twins share a single soul. If one twin dies the living twin is in danger of following it. In the event of a twin's death, the parents consult an Ifa diviner, who may decide that a ere ibeji should be carved as a substitute for the deceased child, though today photographs often replace carvings. The ibeji houses the soul for the benefit of the living soul by reestablishing the unity of the two. By caring for the ibeji, the family keeps the deceased child's spirit happy in the afterlife and ensures that the living twin does not die in order to join its deceased half. In the event that both twins should die a pair of ibeji is carved in the hope that, by caring for and pleasing the deceased twins, their souls will be reborn and live to adulthood. This ibeji is paired with 1994.004.723.

Though associated with individual deceased children, ere ibeji are not portraits. The ibeji seen here exhibit Yoruba notions of adult beauty and moral virtue. Smooth surfaces, decorative scarification marks, and elaborate hair patterns denote a healthy and fully socialized adult. Physical perfection is evident in the figure's youthful appearance and sexually mature features. The erect bearing of each statue indicates moral intelligence and mental alertness. The hands held to the sides and the firm stances of the feet give the figure a respectful attitude that indicates good character.

Once the ere ibeji is carved, it is consecrated, an act that transforms the artist's work into an efficacious intermediary and vessel for the child's spirit (emi). The figure is soaked in a medicine of leaves and water, and palm oil and shea butter are rubbed into its surface. Ibeji are then placed on family altars and are bathed, dressed, rubbed with camwood and indigo, fed, taken to the market place, and played with, just as living children would be. Not only is the image a new physical body in which the deceased child's soul can rest, but it is also a positive psychological vehicle to assist a mother in overcoming the grief of losing a child.
Exhibition HistoryAfrican Artistry: Technique and Aesthetics in Yoruba Sculpture, The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia, April 17 - May 25, 1980
Divine Intervention: African Art and Religion, Michael C. Carlos Museum, February 5 - December 4, 2011
Paper Moon, Zuckerman Museum of Art, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, August 30 - December 6, 2012
Published ReferencesHenry John Drewal, African Artistry: Technique and Aesthetics in Yoruba Sculpture (Atlanta: High Museum of Art, 1980), 60, number 92.

ProvenanceEx coll. William Arnett (1939-2020), Atlanta, Georgia, from at least 1980.

Status

Not on view

Collections