Yoruba
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Yoruba artistic tradition, centered in southwestern Nigeria and Benin, is one of the most prolific and diverse in Africa. Yoruba sculptors have produced carved wood figures, bronze heads, beaded crowns, and ritual objects for centuries, serving the religion, governance, and social life of Yoruba-speaking peoples.
The ancient city of Ife (12th-15th century) produced naturalistic bronze and terracotta portrait heads of astonishing refinement, challenging European assumptions about African art when they were first exhibited in the early 20th century. Yoruba carving traditions continue today, with ere ibeji (twin figures), veranda posts, Epa masks, and Gelede headdresses remaining vital art forms. Yoruba aesthetic principles emphasize clarity, balance, and the concept of iwa (character).
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About Yoruba
Yoruba art is known for naturalistic Ife bronze heads, carved twin figures (ere ibeji), and elaborate masks. The Ife bronzes, dating from the 12th-15th centuries, are among the most refined portrait sculptures produced anywhere in the medieval world.
The National Museum in Lagos and the Ife Museum in Nigeria hold key works. Major collections are also at the British Museum, the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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