Untitled

Sculpture

DePaul Art Museum

Name/Title

Untitled

Entry/Object ID

2001.121ab

Description

Male and female Weber #65

Artwork Details

Medium

Wood

Context

In ancient times in the Yoruba culture and community, the birth of twins was seen as animalistic and an abomination. When twins were born they would be left out in the wild to die. These acts of infanticide would later be abolished by the King Sango (pronounced Shango) who is also revered as a deity. Tango declared that twins should be seen as a blessings and wealth. In Yoruba culture they believe in there being a continuity between this world and the spiritual world. When a twin died a representation would be created and given to the twin that is still living to embody the spirit of the deceased twin. Amazingly Nigeria's Yoruba people has the highest twin rate in the world.

Acquisition

Notes

Collection of DePaul University, gift of the May Weber Foundation

Made/Created

Artist

Unknown artist

Notes

Creation Date: no date

Ethnography

Notes

Yoruba Nigeria, Africa

Lexicon

Getty AAT

Concept

Yoruba (culture or style), Southern Nigerian styles, West African (general), African (general, continental cultures), twins, siblings (people), people (agents), spirits (beings), people in religion, ritual objects, ceremonial objects, object genres (object classifications)

Hierarchy Name

Styles and Periods (hierarchy name), People (hierarchy name), Object Genres (hierarchy name)

Facet

Styles and Periods Facet, Agents Facet, Objects Facet

Dimensions

Dimension Notes

A: 11.5 x 3 x 4 in.

Dimension Notes

29.21 x 7.62 x 10.16 cm

Exhibition

Human Bodies in the Spirit World: African Sculpture from the Weber Collection

Interpretative Labels

Label

Untitled Unknown Male and female Weber #65