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This dramatic figure of a kneeling woman
was
made by artesans of the Yoruba polity, in
modern-day Nigeria. It is an Onile sculpture,
one
of a male/female pair, which was displayed
by the
Ogboni society. The torso is extremely long,
with
short legs tucked under the body, and
spindly
arms – one hand holding a spoon – crossed
on
the chest. The neck is very elongated and
thin,
with a rounded head, bearing a serene
expression. Despite the evidently female
gender,
the figure has a beard; it may thus be a
hermaphrodite. The head is capped with a
domed
cap, bearing a small, flat platform. The eyes
are
downcast, and there is a cruciform eminence
on
the forehead. The body is essentially naked
except for a loincloth (?) and a series of leaf-
shaped adornments on the shoulders and
the
abdomen. The patina is sporadically dark but
uneven.
The Yoruba are a Central Nigerian tribal
group,
originally descended from a Hausa migration
from
the northeast in about 900 AD. A small
kingdom –
Ile Ife – was founded by Oduduwa, followed
by
great sociopolitical expansion into
Southwest
Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. Communities were
presided over by the Oba (king) and various
senates (Ogboni), and councils made up of
guild
leaders, merchants and the lesser
aristocracy
(related to the Oba). The Yoruba have an
exceptionally rich and diverse mythology,
history
and religious context (Itan), all of which are
directly linked to their artistic output.
Ogboni is a Yoruban institution that exercises
social, judicial and sociopolitical power over
the
populace and even exercises control over
regents
in local monarchies. They are gerontocratic,
generally benign, and focused upon the
veneration of the earth (Ile or Odua).
Membership
of the Ogboni is a major indicator of status in
Yoruba society, and this status is reinforced
through the commissioning of religious and
courtly paraphernalia. Most Ogboni pieces –
which include jewellery and sculptures –are
made
of brass/copper, the non-rusting character of
which is viewed as a metaphor for immortal
functions and beliefs of the members.
Perhaps
the best known Ogboni symbol is the
initiates or
“edan” figures, a pair of naked male and
female
figures that are worn around the neck on a
chain.
The current piece is too large for this, and is
most
probably an Onile figure, which were
displayed on
altars in the meeting houses of the society.
While
males and females were shown, it refers to
the
duality of a female goddess (Ile) of the earth,
who
had harder and softer aspects to her
personality.
The age of this piece is hard to determine,
but the
patina is consistent with a comparatively late
date. This is an impressive piece of African
art.
- (BF.132 (LSO))
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