TERA Gallery - African Art and Antiquities "Altering The Way You View The World Of Art" |
Type of Object:
Ethnic Group:
Reference:
- Yoruba Woman with Offering
- Olumeye [o-loo-may-yay] refers to a kneeling female holding a
lidded bowl that was used to hold the kola nuts (obi) a host offered
to his guests in a domestic hospitality ritual or to deities (orisha [o-
ree-shah]) in the context of religious worship. Such bowls may
also have been used to store valuables. Olumeye means “one
who knows honor” and serves as “a messenger of the spirits.” The
figure also celebrates Yoruba aesthetic ideals of feminine beauty.
All Yoruba sculptors knew how to carve an olumeye.
- Beautiful kneeling female figure carrying her child in the back and
presenting offering in a large cylindrical container. The pointed
coiffure on the mother enhances her the beauty of her face. Her
nudity and kneeling pose suggest humility before a deity in a ritual
setting. Children, like the one carried on her back, are considered
to be blessings given from the god in return for devotion. The
chicken or rooster opens to reveal a small container for offerings
to be placed.
This figure a devotee of the god Eshu, the Yoruba trickster god.
Also known as Elegba he is the deity of the crossroads, one who
confuses us or directs us to avoid dangers, he is the Yoruba deity
who carries messages and offerings to the gods and is best
known as the trickster god of their pantheon. Eshu manipulates
creative energies, communicates with the gods, and embraces
secret knowledge. He/she can become invisible, appear in an
instant, and mystify us by her actions or appearance.
Spiritual power is thought by the Yoruba to almost literally spring
from the head. The woman's shaved hairline emphasizes the
head as a channel for the god's possession and allows for the
insertion of medicines, magical substances associated with
Shango.
Ethnic Group:
- Yoruba Society
- Nigeria
- Wood
Reference:
