id: 281599 accession number: 2016.9 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/2016.9 updated: 2023-08-24 01:14:01.358000 Twin Figure (Ère Ìbejì), late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker. Wood, copper alloy, iron alloy, lead, glass beads, cowrie shells, twine, and pigment; overall: 25.6 x 18.8 x 5.8 cm (10 1/16 x 7 3/8 x 2 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Kim Sherwin 2016.9 title: Twin Figure (Ère Ìbejì) title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: late 1800s–early 1900s creation date earliest: 1875 creation date latest: 1925 current location: creditline: Gift of Kim Sherwin copyright: --- culture: Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker technique: Wood, copper alloy, iron alloy, lead, glass beads, cowrie shells, twine, and pigment department: African Art collection: African Art type: Sculpture find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: Overall: 25.6 x 18.8 x 5.8 cm (10 1/16 x 7 3/8 x 2 5/16 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS --- PROVENANCE --- fun fact: This figure commemorates a twin that has died in infancy. digital description: wall description: Such a figure is carved when a twin dies in infancy and serves as a memorial to the surviving sibling. These twin figures are always carved to look like adult individuals with idealized physical features. Various body adornments suggest the care parents devote to their children, while the erosion of facial features indicates the symbolic washing and feeding of the figure as a means to connect the soul of the deceased to that of the living twin. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2016.9/2016.9_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2016.9/2016.9_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/2016.9/2016.9_full.tif