Lot A123 - Yoruba Ere Ibeji Twin Figures

Yoruba Ere Ibeji Twin Figures

Nigeria.

Height: 24 cm

Pair of carved wooden twin memorial figures from the Yoruba people, standing upright on circular bases with elongated bodies and long arms resting along the sides. The figures display the characteristic Yoruba emphasis on the head, with tall crested coiffures, almond-shaped eyes, and stylized facial scarification marks carved on the cheeks and neck. The bodies are slender with simplified anatomical forms, while the feet are firmly planted on integral bases. The surfaces show a deep brown patina with areas of wear from handling and ritual care.

Among the Yoruba, twins (ibeji) hold special spiritual significance and are believed to share a single soul. When one twin dies, a carved figure known as an ere ibeji is commissioned to house the spirit of the deceased child. The figure is cared for by the family—washed, anointed with oils, and sometimes dressed or adorned—so that the spiritual balance between the living and the ancestral world is maintained. Pairs such as these reflect the enduring importance of twin veneration within Yoruba religious practice.