World Ceramics: Key Ideas

Nigeria, Ife (Yoruba)
Shrine Head
12th-14th century
Terra-cotta
12-1/4 inches high,
5-3/4 inches wide,
7-1/4 inches deep
The John R. Van Derlip Fund
95.84

  • This head of an elite African woman comes from the kingdom of Ife (eé - fay), once the cultural, religious, and political center of the Yoruba people.

  • The shrine head is made of TERRA-COTTA, a naturally occurring clay that is reddish brown in color.

  • The idealized features of this sculptural head suggest it was meant more as a commemoration of someone, rather than an exact likeness. It was probably placed on an altar in the royal palace and used in religious ceremonies honoring ancestors.
     
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Key ideas.
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