Exhibit Catalog
How to Contact
the Gallery
Sign our
guest book.
You could win
a wall hanging!
Gift Shop
Site Index
Home Page
Inventory Catalog
We accept ...
|
African Art at the Ralph Proctor Gallery
Yoruba Art
February 1 through April 30, 1999
The Yoruba people are the largest ethnic group in Africa. The
population is concentrated in Nigeria and The Republic of Benin
(formerly Dahomey). In both countries, the Yoruba constitute
the majority population. The history of the Yoruba people dates
back thousands of years, beginning with the Ife and Benin
civilizations. Ife and Benin are well-known for their
magnificent bronze castings that predate European influence
in the region. In the near future, we will feature an exhibition
of Ife and Benin bronze art. Some examples can be found in our
on-line catalogue.
The oral historians of the Yoruba say that the history of the
Yoruba people goes back even further than the ancient Ife and
Benin civilizations. They say that long ago, there was a Yoruba
kingdom located on the West coast of Africa. They further state
that this was the oldest of all civilizations. According to the
historians, one day there was a great physical disaster. The
land roared and shook with the anger of the gods and the kingdom
broke away from the continent and sank into the sea. At first,
European historians and scholars dismissed the accounts of the
ancient Yoruba civilization as mere fable. That is, until
artifacts began to wash ashore on the west coast. The artifacts
were easily identified as Yoruba. Carbon-14 dating clearly
established that they were older than any previously known
civilizations. Some believe that this lost community was the
ancient civilization of Atlantis.
The Yoruba produce an incredible array of artifacts for use in
their religious ceremonies. The artisans work in wood,
textiles and metal. Featured in this exhibition are examples of
items utilizing all the media employed by Yoruba craftsmen.
Absent from the exhibition are the famous Benin cloth appliques.
Several examples of this art form are found on our Dahomey page.
A study of Yoruba art, as well as the art of any other people,
reveals the way the society conducted itself and provides a clue
of the belief system as well as the knowledge base of the people.
One of the most interesting belief systems of the Yoruba has to
do with the Ire Ibeji figures. The Yoruba believe that the soul
is given at the moment of conception. If a fertilized egg
divides and forms twins or triplets, the soul is divided among
the babies. Thus, each twin or triplet shares a common soul. If
one of the children dies, the other child/children is/are also
in danger of dying, because the partial soul of the deceased
baby will try to seduce the remaining partial-soul to join it
for the journey to the next life. If the seduction is successful,
the other child/children will die as well. Ire Ibeji figures,
some of which are featured in this show, are carved to serve as
dwelling places for the partial souls of deceased twins, thus
protecting the surviving children.
It is beyond the scope of this exhibition to do more than
scratch the surface of the Yoruba belief system. We will provide
as much information as we can about the artifacts in this show,
realizing that, as usual, there is information that is reserved
for initiates only. We hope you enjoy our latest exhibition. As always, we welcome
your comments. Any praise belongs to those who taught me, and to
my dedicated web tech. The mistakes and blame are mine alone.
|