Collected in the 1950's in Nigeria
A male ibeji from the Oyo region of Yorubaland. There are two strings of black beads around the waist.. Traces of camwood powder on the body and feet.
An Ibeji is used as a container for the soul of a dead twin. The Yoruba believe that the souls of twins are connected to each other and the a dead twin must be looked after exactly like a living child in that it is fed, bathed and spoken to.
Lit.: "Doppel-Leben Ibeji Zwillingsfiguren der Yoruba" - Hanni Jantzen "Beads, Body and Light in the Yoruba Universe" - Henry Drewal and John Mason - 1998
"Ibeji - The Cult of the Yoruba Twins" - George Chemeche, text by John Pemberton III and John Picton - 2003
"Ibeji - Zwillingsfiguren der Yoruba" - Mareidi und Gert Stoll - 1980
"A Closer Look - Local Styles in the Yoruba Art Collection of the Afrika Museum , Berg en Dal" - Hans Witte - 2004.
