The Hans Jurgen van Oort estate collection
Friday, 12 - Tuesday, 16 July 2024
YORUBA BENIN ERE IBEJI WOOD FIGURE / DOLL w shells & beads, H.270mm.
Current Bid $220 (12 bids, reserve met)
This lot is now closed 16 Jul 6:00 PM (NZST)
Buyer premium and GST is additional to your bid.
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Lot Details
SEE: https://smarthistory.org/ere-figures-yoruba-peoples/ Note: The Yoruba people of Nigeria, West Africa have one of the highest birth rate of twins in the world, with 45 of every 1,000 children born a twin, but also have a high mortality rate. In Yoruba culture, twins are considered to possess special powers: they are believed to be one soul, and must be cared for accordingly. If a twin dies in infancy, the family have a wooden figure carved to represent the dead twin. These carvings are called ere ibeji (‘ere’ means sacred image, ‘ibi’, means born and ‘eji’ means two). The family look after this figure as if it were alive: feeding, bathing, clothing, carrying it like a baby, and performing rituals on significant occasions, to ensure the balance of the shared soul.
