The Yoruba in Nigeria believe that the entire individuality, spirituality and fate of a person resides in its head. The head therefore has a very special significance. Against this background, a special cult around the ‘house of the head’ developed. Represented in large, round containers, known as ‘Ile ori’. They are produced out of curved wooden strips, leather, fabric and cowrie shells. Also smaller variations of these sacred objects (‘Ibori’), as well as other items that are important for the owner are placed in such a ‘house of the head’. Then the ‘Ile ori’ is sealed at the bottom, placed in a shrine and ceremonially venerated. The present ritual object 'Ile ori' is extremely rich and decorated in tight rows with pierced cowrie shells. The cowries symbolise wealth, welfare, happiness and health. At the top, on the ‘house of the head’, sits a wooden figurine with crested coiffure and draped in fabric. She has a large bag on which a mirror hangs, holds a bowl in her left hand, and is fixed to the ‘house of the head’ by means of a wooden pin. No additional sacred objects are found inside this ‘house of the head’ any longer. They have been removed. This ‘Ile ori’ is open at the bottom. Nevertheless, it is a highly interesting and still very complete object of the Yoruba people (no cowrie shells are missing). With patina and traces of long use. Only minor, age-related damage (fabric rubbed off). H: 51 cm (with figurine); DM: ca. 28 cm (lower rim). First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance: Austrian Private Collection.

Lit.: ‘Yoruba, Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought’ by Henry John Drewal & John Pemberton III, fig. 30, 32.