Male Yoruba Ere Ibeji (Twin Figure)

Creator

Preview

Creation Date

20th century

Geography

Likely Nigeria

Culture

Yoruba

Medium

Wood, metal, camwood powder, pigment (likely indigo)

Dimensions

10 3/4 x 3 1/2. x 3 in. (27.3 x 8.89 x. 7.62 cm)

Credit Line

Bequest of David P. Harris ('46), 2020

Accession Number

2020.8

Provenance

Purchased by David P. Harris ('46) from Von Barghahn Gallery in Washington, D.C. on August 22, 1974; Joseph J. Barghahn, likely Côte d'Ivoire or Liberia, 1960s.

Condition

Despite minor chipping and cracking of the wood (particularly on the base), the body of the figure is largely in its original condition. The red of camwood powder remains in the grooves of the body and neck, and visible traces of blue pigment (likely indigo) are visible on the figure’s stylized, elaborate coiffure. The right eye is missing the nail that was once at the center of the eye (as seen on the left eye). Any jewelry or accessories that might once have adorned the figure were absent by the time of Harris’ purchase in 1974.

References

Brad Hostetler, with Ani Parnagian, "From Private to Public: The Collection of David P. Harris," in Ethiopian Objects in the Blick-Harris Study Collection: Art, Context, and the Persistence of Form, eds. Brad Hostetler, and Lynn Jones, Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art & Architecture 8, no. 1 (Spring 2022): 5–25, https://digital.kenyon.edu/perejournal/vol8/iss1/1/.

Description

This figure is a male Yoruba ere ibeji or twin figure (literally ere: sacred image; ibi: born; eji: two). Yoruba people have among the highest rates of twin births globally and often consider twins special or sacred people. As such, when a twin dies, the parents may consult a babalawo, or Yoruba spiritual diviner, about how to honor the twin’s spirit (sometimes to prevent the deceased twin from calling the remaining twin to reunite in death). It is common for the babalawo to instruct the family to have an ere ibeji, such as this one, made. The ere ibeji acts as a space for the deceased twin’s spirit and is cared for by the family.

Although ere ibejis are a physical tether to the twin’s spirit, they are not simply carvings of the deceased. Instead, the figure is carved as a highly idealized depiction of the twin as they might have been in adulthood. An individual’s specific characteristics are generally limited to gender and the presence of scarification, though the family may add clothing or jewelry (Met Museum no. 1981.424.2).

This male ere ibeji is relatively simple but exemplifies many of the genre’s elements. With feet planted firmly on the round base, the figure’s body is balanced, emphasizing the prominent chest and large limbs. Each arm meets the body at the thigh, a feature common among ere ibeji. Together, the figure’s head and hair constitute a little more than a third of its almost 11-inch height. Large circular eyes are set in relief on the face, and in the center of the left eye, the head of a nail is seated, while there is a corresponding hole in the right eye. Around the bottom and corners of the eyes, small sections have been carved away, possibly to represent scarification (University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art no 2017.330a).

Almost universally, the ere ibeji’s most prominent feature is its coiffure. The coiffure is about the same height as the rest of the head and crowns the figure in an arching shape from the forehead to the nape of the neck. The blue pigment (likely indigo), which would have been applied to the coiffure as part of the figure's care, is still visible in its grooves (Met Museum no. 1981.424.13).

In addition to the pigment, this figure shows other signs of having been extensively handled and cared for, common to many ere ibeji. Traces of red in the joints of the figure and at its base are the remains of camwood powder, which would have been applied to the figure’s body. The smooth shine of the wood is a result of regular touching and handling as the figure was engaged with in and out of the home. Often the deceased twin’s mother or other family members would dress and adorn the ere ibeji, sometimes taking the figure with them, wearing it wrapped in their own clothes, particularly during celebrations and other festival or ritual activities. More recently, some Yoruba people have used plastic dolls, other types of figures, or photography to fulfill the function of the ere ibeji.

Works Cited

Abiodun, Rowland. Yoruba Art and Language: Seeking the African in African Art. Cambridge University Press, 2014, 268-71.

Houlberg, Marilyn Hammersley. “Ibeji Images of the Yoruba.” African Arts 7, no. 1 (1973): 20–92. https://doi-org.libproxy.kenyon.edu/10.2307/3334745.

Layiwola, Dele. “Ère ìbejì (commemorative twin figures) with tunic, late 19th–early 20th century.” Object description in the Princeton University Art Museum digital collections. Last accessed July 14, 2026. https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/art/collections/objects/61090.

Oyinloye, Michael, Afeez Siyanbola, Evelyn Adepeko, and Adedola Adeyemi. “Preserving Culture and Heritage of the Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria: An Ethnographic Study of the Twin Figure (Ere Ibeji).” SCHOLARS: Journal of Arts & Humanities 4, no. 2 (Aug. 2022): 18-31. https://doi.org/10.3126/sjah.v4i2.47419.

Mercer Thomas ('27) (Summer 2026)