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L. Pescador, 1995 |
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Despite the fact that slavery was officially abolished in 1807, the cult of the twins was re-discovered in Brazil among the descendents of the Yoruba deported there from Africa as slaves. This information might lead us to think that the cult in Yoruba land existed prior to the early 1800s but in reality that terrible trade went on for another forty years and one of the last slave ships left the coast of Nigeria for Bahia in 1851. Notable attention is paid to the eyewitness reports of the explorer Richard Lander who, for the first time, in 1830, describes the presence of figures carved in memory of deceased twins in the village of Ibeshe near Lagos. The first official acquisition in the West of a pair of ibeji statues took place in 1854 on behalf of the British Museum.
In almost all of the Yoruba societies, all twins born are considered to be in possession of special spiritual and supernatural powers. If they were loved and treated with due respect, it was believed that they would bring riches and prosperity. On the other hand, it was held that if they were ignored they might bring disgrace, misfortune, illness and even death. Usually they were paid plenty of attention and received offerings of choice food, finest gifts, rich clothing and festivals in their honor. The most unusual genetic characteristic of the Yoruba is that of having the highest percentage of twin births in the world - in the order of fifty per thousand. If we consider this peculiarity with regard to the high levels of infant mortality prevalent in those parts (of what? Africa) it is not hard to understand that the potentially high number of statuettes make this one of the most prolific art forms in all of Africa.
The sculpture of an ibeji statuette, often made from dense iroko wood, was normally commissioned by a family with an artist recommended by a holy man or babalawo from the Ifa religion. The artist could carry out the work in their own style while respecting the distinctive guidelines of the group. Then followed specific rituals with sacrifices and offerings which were very similar throughout the territory. The carving could be of a couple of wooden figures or one figure in the case of the death of one of the twins. This significantly highlights the fact that not all of the ibeji were created in pairs and so the presence of a single identity can be considered complete in its own right from an artistic and sculptural point of view. If the twins died at different times, the memorial figures could be carved at different times. The ibeji were treated as living members of the bereaved family and the mother took daily care of the figure. They were ‘fed’ with offerings of food, washed, dressed, anointed with a reddish resin called camwood, made up with indigo, kaolin and also decorated with pearls of glass, cowrie shells, bracelets and metal ankle rings. This daily care, prolonged for decades, with continuous rubbing wore off the sharp edges of the statue and produced the characteristic patina left by prolonged use. This process sometimes removed the features of the statue completely. Often they were carried like real babies during daily life and on the death of the mother the care of the statue passed to the surviving twin or one of the remaining brothers or sisters.
Even though the ibeji statues were memorial tributes to babies who died in the first months or years of their lives, they are always sculpted as fully grown adults. The genitals and muscles are well developed, the hair is elaborate, and the lower limbs are covered with pants, aprons or ceremonial tunics. The ibeji do not reproduce the physical characteristics of the deceased or try to demonstrate their material characteristics but serve as an idealized spiritual symbol. In this way, the ibeji represent complete human figures of variable heights averaging from 22 to 28 cm with some examples exceeding 30cm. They stand upright with their hands along their flanks or in some cases on their stomachs and are sustained by a circular, square or trapezoidal base. Some stand directly on their feet wearing sandals. A traditional Yoruba priest, Araba Ego, describes this as, “standing straight and tall”*. This signifies moral rectitude and superior lineage. This posture tends to demonstrate a state of alert readiness to react to the events around them. The ibeji almost never seem relaxed but rather seem to be tensed to listen to the prayers offered to them and ready to react for better or for worse. The eyes are big, round, penetrating and designed to inspire fear. They represent the ability to foresee the future and influence fate. The adult body indicates physical health and the power to procreate while the proportionally oversized head indicates intellectual superiority. * (“Standing, straight and tall”, Pamela McCluskie, 2002).
Given the large number of ibeji present today in museums and private collections all over the world, various academics have tried to determine their origin and classify them in terms of their characteristics. In this way it has been possible, with reasonable certainty, to attribute them to numerous ‘schools’ of sculpture and well known artists. We can cite, for example, the Eshubiyi and Adugbologe ‘schools’ operating in the city of Abeokuta in South-Western Nigeria and the Dadaolomo in the area of Awori. In the area of Ekiti in central Nigeria, the works of the sculptors Aréogun, Bamgboye, Agbonbiofe and Olowè were much appreciated while in the area of Igbomina, worked the famous, “maestro of the smiling ibeji “.
The stylistic peculiarities which make the ere ibeji different in terms of their features, while keeping to the ‘classic’ guidelines, determine one of the most fascinating and attractive artistic forms in sculpture and African life. By observing them carefully, one by one, while remembering the tragic cause of their origins, you can appreciate all the strength of their being which, transcending their earthly presence, leaves not just a sense of mystery and pride but a real, intrinsic and moving sense of humanity.
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