Artefact of the week | Ere Ibeji

Name: Ere Ibeji Figures

History: The Yoruba people (one of the largest ethnic groups in Southwestern Nigeria) have one of the highest rates of twinning in the world. And it is estimated that out of every 1,000 births, 45-50 result in twins.

Twins are valued among the Yoruba people and are believed to be supernatural. They are believed to come into this world with the protection of the orisha (deity) Shango who is evoked at the baby’s naming ceremony when he or she is a few months old.

Owing to the sudden increase in the low birth weight of twins and the high infant mortality rates in Nigeria, many twin babies don’t live long. If a baby dies during childbirth, in the months leading up to the naming ceremony, the parents will seek consultation with an Ifá diviner, a Babalawo. And if the ifa diviner establishes a spiritual cause, he will help them find a carver to create a statue for them (an Ere ibeji figure).

Uses: The Ere ibeji figure is a wooden carving of a male or female figure once used by the Yoruba. The Ere ibeji figure is thought to be the main point for the spiritual energy of the late twin who, according to Yoruba belief, now lives in the supernatural realm where he/she is being cared for by a spiritual mother.
But even though this Ere ibeji figure can serve as a vessel for the spirit of the deceased twin, the carving does not look like children. These Ere ibeji figures are made to depict an ideal type within the Yoruba standards of beauty and in the prime of life.

The carving style of the Ere ibeji emphasizes the narrowed head, an elegant hairstyle, around eyes and facial features, and a well-adjusted composition between the body parts. Each of these features positions a moral virtue or inner goodness all children should develop. Ere ibeji figures reveal not only the importance of twins and a strong belief in the afterlife but what Yoruba regard as beautiful and correct.

For more information, visit:
https://artifactsjournal.missouri.edu/2014/03/twins-in-west-african-culture-and-society-of-the-iron-age/