Male statuette, ere ibeji, Yoruba (Awori) Nigeria (Ota or Ig - Lot 363

Lot n° 363
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Estimation :
800 - 1200 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 1 040EUR
Male statuette, ere ibeji, Yoruba (Awori) Nigeria (Ota or Ig - Lot 363
Male statuette, ere ibeji, Yoruba (Awori) Nigeria (Ota or Igbesa) Late 19th century- circa 1875 Wood, pigments H. 25.5 cm Provenance : Veena and Peter Schnell, Zürich (Switzerland) Christie's London sale, November 10, 1981, lot 219 French private collection Stemming from a tradition deeply rooted in Yoruba spirituality, ere ibeji embody much more than mere representation: they are the tangible materialization of an intangible bond, the receptacle of an invisible presence, and a bridge between the world of the living and the world of spirits. When one of the twins dies, the parents commission a sculptor to create a substitute figure to house the deceased's soul. This practice is based on the belief that twins share one and the same soul, and that the survivor cannot live with an incomplete soul. The statuette thus serves to preserve this spiritual balance. Although these statuettes follow conventional formal codes, they are characterized by great diversity and a certain singularity according to the main stylistic regions. Each figure bears witness to the regional style of its sculptor, as shown here by this male effigy, representative of the south-western coastal region of Yoruba territory, where the Awori are mainly settled, and whose statuary is distinguished by round, voluminous forms. Depicted in an academic pose, standing on a circular base with hands level with the hips, it features massive volumes with full, rounded curves, magnified by a smooth, shiny patina with mahogany highlights, dotted with traces of solidified osun camwood powder. The face is dominated by large semicircular eyes, and the skull is topped with a skullcap accented with lye blue.
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