ABOUT YORUBA IBEJI FIGURES
Ibeji figures are small commemorative wood carvings that were made by the Yoruba tribe of West Africa. Ibeji figures are made to contain the soul and spiritual essence of a deceased twin. Called Ere Ibeji( sacred ibeji). The word ibeji literally means twins. In the ibeji cult the Yoruba believe that caring for the carving of the dead twin will help the surviving sibling to flourish.
The Yoruba are one of the most populous tribes in Africa. They have a complex cultural and religious tradition going back millennia. For unknown reasons the Yoruba have a higher incidence of twin births (ibeji) than any peoples anywhere in the world. In many African cultures, twin births have been historically regarded as ignominious; a herald of certain misfortune. Only in the animal kingdom were multiple births considered acceptable or natural. Twins were often killed at birth or secretly separated and given away or banished. During the reign of a Yoruba king during the 18th century and probably because of a multiple birth in royal circles, a dramatic reversal in the perception of twins began among the Yoruba. From this period, twins were proclaimed as a blessing and the harbingers of luck and good fortune.
On the sad occasion of both Yoruba twins dying in childhood, two Ibeji figures are commissioned from a skilled carver who is a specialist in carving Ibeji figures. The carver is chosen by the family who supply him with offerings of food and drink during the process of carving. Once the ibeji is completed, a ceremony follows after which the ibeji is kept by the mother or other family. The ibeji figure is ceremonially blessed, offered food, washed and cleaned with cam wood powers. It is treated as a living entity for many years, often beyond the lifespan of any living person. The faces and bodies of many ibeji figures can be seen to be worn down from decades of rubbing and cleaning.
Each area or Yoruba land had its own particular style of depicting the ibeji figures and many regional styles and sub styles can be recognised. These charming figures are an art form in themselves and the distinct personality of each figure has made them very popular with collectors.
Many Yoruba carvers are known by name. Whole families of carvers passed this skill down through the generations until the 20th century. Some Ibeji figures can be attributed to specific families or even individual carvers.
There were many known Yoruba artists or carvers. The names of some notable carvers:
Olowe of Ise
Arowogun of Osi
Eshubiyi and son Akinyode of Abeokuta
Adugbologe of Abeokuta whose work is marked with a small triangle or square on the base.
A YORUBA WOMAN WITH A PAIR OF IBEJI FIGURES
