id: 146935 accession number: 1972.334.1 share license status: Copyrighted url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1972.334.1 updated: 2022-01-04 16:45:54.330000 Twin Figure (Ère Ìbejì), c. 1930s. Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker. Wood, organic material, probably bluing, glass beads, and natural fiber; overall: 27.3 cm (10 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Katherine C. White 1972.334.1 title: Twin Figure (Ère Ìbejì) title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: c. 1930s creation date earliest: 1930 creation date latest: 1939 current location: creditline: Gift of Katherine C. White copyright: --- culture: Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker technique: Wood, organic material, probably bluing, glass beads, and natural fiber department: African Art collection: African Art type: Sculpture find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: Overall: 27.3 cm (10 3/4 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. 129, repr.
CMA 1973: "Year in Review 1972," CMA Bulletin LX (March, 1973), p. 107, no. 41. --- 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