GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Respectfully kneeling and holding a bowl, this type of female figure represents an olumeye, "one who knows honor." She wears an intricately braided irun agogo hairstyle that was worn by recent brides and priestesses devoted to particular orishas (deities). Her face and body are elaborately decorated with scarification. She is adorned with triangular amulets carved in relief on her chest and back as protection against malevolent forces. The small figures carved in high relief on her upper arms may represent deceased twins (ibeji). The bowl itself is decorated with a human face. In the past, such beautiful offering bowls were found in royal palaces or shrines, where they presented gifts of kola nuts or some precious item to special visitors.
Considerably smaller than the majority of olumeye, this one may have served as a shrine object. A symbolic offering to a deity would have been placed in the bowl.
Excerpt from
- Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, Arts of Africa, 2015.
NOTES
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Adeshina Family Workshop
Cultures
Yoruba: AAT: 300016031
Geography
Nigeria (nation): TGN: 1000182
Effon Alaiye: AAT: 7000560
Process/materials
carving (processes): AAT: 300053149
Historical periods
nineteenth century (dates CE): AAT: 300404513
twentieth century (dates CE): AAT: 300404514
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Before 1953: Olubadan of Ibadan, Nigeria
1953-1970: private collection(s), Nigeria
1970-1984: Robert Plant Armstrong (d. 1984), Dallas, TX
From 1985: Al Abrams, Connecticut
Until 2015: private collection, Europe
2015: Michael Oliver, New York
2016: Dallas Museum of Art, African Collection Fund, purchase from above
The main source for this provenance is the object summary, dated June 3, 2016, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records object file.
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VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 2016.3
Category
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General Description
Respectfully kneeling and holding a bowl, this type of female figure represents an olumeye, "one who knows honor." She wears an intricately braided irun agogo hairstyle that was worn by recent brides and priestesses devoted to particular orishas (deities). Her face and body are elaborately decorated with scarification. She is adorned with triangular amulets carved in relief on her chest and back as protection against malevolent forces. The small figures carved in high relief on her upper arms may represent deceased twins (ibeji). The bowl itself is decorated with a human face. In the past, such beautiful offering bowls were found in royal palaces or shrines, where they presented gifts of kola nuts or some precious item to special visitors.
Considerably smaller than the majority of olumeye, this one may have served as a shrine object. A symbolic offering to a deity would have been placed in the bowl.
Excerpt from
- Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, Arts of Africa, 2015.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Adeshina Family Workshop
Cultures
Yoruba: AAT: 300016031
Geography
Nigeria (nation): TGN: 1000182
Effon Alaiye: AAT: 7000560
Process/materials
carving (processes): AAT: 300053149
Historical periods
nineteenth century (dates CE): AAT: 300404513
twentieth century (dates CE): AAT: 300404514
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Before 1953: Olubadan of Ibadan, Nigeria
1953-1970: private collection(s), Nigeria
1970-1984: Robert Plant Armstrong (d. 1984), Dallas, TX
From 1985: Al Abrams, Connecticut
Until 2015: private collection, Europe
2015: Michael Oliver, New York
2016: Dallas Museum of Art, African Collection Fund, purchase from above
The main source for this provenance is the object summary, dated June 3, 2016, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records object file.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
2016.3
source file
object_notes_3_a-0292.xml.nores