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African & Tribal Art :
Yoruba Terracotta Vessels : Yoruba Terracotta Ceremonial Vessel
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Yoruba Terracotta Ceremonial Vessel - PF.2303 (LSO)
Origin: South-Western Nigeria
Circa: 19
th
Century AD
to 20
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
14.5" (36.8cm) high
x 9.75" (24.8cm) wide
Catalogue: V12
Collection: African
Medium: Terracotta
$9,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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This harmonious piece is a ritual vessel made by
the Yoruba tribe of modern-day Nigeria. It
comprises a globular vessel with rounded,
integral base, clinched just below the rim and
flaring outward. The corpus of the pot is
decorated with a series of small eminences and a
pair of handles. The pot is capped with a conical
lid, decorated with incised lines and a seated
woman, holding a small libation vessel on her
lap. She is adorned with various eminences and
detailing, and seems to be naked judging from
her breasts which jut out over the vessel she is
holding. Her face is serene and composed, with a
triangular nose, coffee-bean eyes, a narrow
mouth and two sets of four scars on each cheek.
Her coiffure is complex and crested, with incised
detailing. The clay is blackened and darkened
through use and perhaps the application of
libations.
The Yoruba peoples of Nigeria have what is
probably the longest extant artistic tradition in
Africa. The nation state is comprised of
numerous subsections that were joined
historically by the rise and collapse of the Ife
(12th to 15th centuries) and Benin (13th to 19th
centuries) polities. Each of the sub-kingdoms –
including Oyo, Ijebu and smaller units towards
the west – had their heyday, and are loosely
united through language and culture, although
they still retain a measure of independence in
terms of their artistic traditions. It is extremely
hard to summarise the nature of Yoruba society
given the large area they cover and the inevitable
variability of their customs.
The Yoruba – being a large, complex society – is
sedentary, agriculturist and hierarchical. They are
ruled by hereditary kings known as Obas, and
their access to the supernatural world is
supervised by a very complex arrangement of
priests (i.e. Olowa) and spiritual intermediaries.
Their cosmology is arranged in terms of the
tangible realm of the living (aye) and the invisible
realm of the spirits and the hereafter (orun).
Their relationship is sometimes described as
being that of a gourd with tightly-interlocking
upper and lower halves, or as a divination board
with a raised rim and a depressed centre. The
creator of the world is Olodumare (or Odumare,
Olorun, Eleda or Eleemi, depending on the area),
who is the source of all ase – life force. Orun is
populated by all manner of spirits (iwin, ajogun,
egbe and oro), gods (orisa) and ancestors (ara
orun), all of whom influence the living. They can
all be reached, appealed to or appeased through
human intermediaries such as the babalawo
(diviner). Most Yoruban artistic heritage is
designed to thwart evil spirits, and to placate or
honour those that bring good fortune to the
populace.
A piece such as this may have been used as a
sacrificial “altar” for offerings, or perhaps just for
the careful storage of valuable objects, or even
food. Whatever its purpose, it is a striking piece
and a worthy addition to any collection.
- (PF.2303 (LSO))
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