Ibeji with an Earring

Yoruba traditional beliefs and practices have been evolving from the outset. Long ago, the Yoruba recognized that they were beset by a high rate of twin pregnancies and that the resultant births were often troubled. Even in the age of modern medicine, multiple births are risky for the mother and the babies. Low birth weights and premature deliveries are common. The Yoruba responded to the resultant high rate of infant mortality with a belief system that required couples who lost one or both twins to create a carving symbolizing the lost child, serving as its embodiment after the fact. These figures, solitary and in pairs, are known as ibejis. They are ritually fed, adorned, and looked after by their mothers to appease the spirit of the dead child so that it does not become jealous of its surviving siblings and bedevil the family with trickery and misfortune.

This particular example hails from the collection of the late Marshall Mount. After graduating from Columbia University, Mount was awarded a Fulbright grant to study contemporary art in newly independent Nigeria. During his initial stay and subsequent sojourns in the country as an art history professor, Mount spent some of his spare time looking at and purchasing traditional art from individuals he encountered as well as emerging dealers. This beautiful example, with well-oxidized deposits of camwood powder adorning its finely crafted body, is priced at $850.

10″

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