id: 146933 accession number: 1972.332.2 share license status: Copyrighted url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1972.332.2 updated: 2020-11-14 10:01:46.766000 Twin Figure, c. 1940s. Fakeye School (Nigerian). Wood, organic material, probably bluing, glass beads, and natural fiber; overall: 28 cm (11 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Katherine C. White 1972.332.2 title: Twin Figure title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: c. 1940s creation date earliest: 1940 creation date latest: 1949 current location: creditline: Gift of Katherine C. White copyright: --- culture: Guinea Coast, Nigeria, Yoruba, 20th century technique: Wood, organic material, probably bluing, glass beads, and natural fiber department: African Art collection: African Art type: Sculpture find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS * Fakeye School (Nigerian) - artist --- measurements: Overall: 28 cm (11 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS * CMA 1968: "African Tribal Images: The Katherine White Reswick Collection," cat. no. 127, repr.
CMA 1973: "Year in Review 1972," CMA Bulletin LX (March, 1973), p. 107, no. 42
CMA 1975: "Traditions and Revisions," cat. no. 44. --- PROVENANCE Ross Widen, Cleveland date: 1966 footnotes: citations: Ross Widen, Cleveland (1966); Katherine White Reswick date: footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: digital description: wall description: Among the Yoruba, who have the world's highest instance of multiple births, twins are regarded as sacred children. Should one die, the parents may commission a memorial figure. They then care for the figure (decorate, clothe, wash, and feed it), symbolically honoring and entertaining the spirit of the departed twin so it does not call its partner to join it in the otherworld. The indigo and washing blue in the hair and the red camwood cosmetic rubbed on the bodies of these figures are signs of the devotions of their former owners. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS --- IMAGES