Among the Yoruba, such ‘bowl carriers’ are placed in sacred shrines, for sacrificial offering, or in houses of well-off families, for offering cola nuts to their guests.
The present ensemble of a ‘bowl carrier’ is an especially beautiful example: made of hard, light-coloured wood, coloured in dark reddish-brown and black (partially with green underpaint). The woman wears a hairstyle fashioned in elaborate relief with two lateral plaits and two at the back. On her cheeks she has typical tribal decorative scarification marks and her open mouth shows a central tooth gap, which often appears on Yoruba figures (in keeping with their ideal of beauty). On her neck and back she displays a field of decorative scarification marks in relief, as well as as a four-part belt around her waist. In front of her, the woman holds with both hands a large, round, deep bowl, whose exterior is also decorated with skilfully carved, detailed reliefs. The lid of the bowl is in the form of a hen. Also its body and tail are precisely and competently carved in relief, as well as dyed reddish-brown. The head of the hen is black, the eyes are painted a silver colour.
Four children support from below with raised arms the heavy bowl and the arms of the mother. The four children stand and the mother kneels on a round base plate, equally covered with dense, geometric reliefs and dyed reddish-brown. All of the five people of this ensemble wear different hairstyles. The sculpture of the mother shows an insignificant crack to the left part of her face, as well as a continuous, light crack to her left elbow. Another age-related small crack appears on the base plate at the front. Slight colour abrasion to a few areas. Otherwise no damage. Good usage patina in the interior of the bowl, as well as fine shiny patina on the outside. Style: Ekiti, north-eastern area of settlement of the Yoruba people.
Height: 42 cm; width: c. 30 cm. First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance: German collection.

Lit.: ‘Yoruba. Sculpture of West Africa’ by William Fagg & John Pemberton III, ill. 18, 41, 66.