Abogunde of Ede (active late 19th century)
Yoruba
Nigeria
Coastal West Africa
Female Figure with Bowl
INV-1094
Abogunde of Ede (active late 19th century)
Yoruba
Nigeria
Coastal West AfricaLate 19th century
Female Figure with Bowl
Abogunde of Ede (active late 19th century) Yoruba Nigeria Coastal West Africa →yorubaArts of AfricaCoastal West Africaafrican Artsculptureshrine
Date
Late 19th century
Medium
Wood, beads, and traces of pigment
Dimensions
66.1 × 20.4 × 26.1 cm (26 × 8 × 10 1/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of the Alsdorf Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. James W. Alsdorf, and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Antonow; Samuel P. Avery Fund; gift of Herbert Baker and Gwendolyn Miller, the Britt Family Collection, and Gaston T. de Havenon; Ada Turnbull Hertle Fund; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin E. Hokin, Robert Stolper, and Mr. and Mrs. Edward H. Weiss; through prior gift of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Wielgus
This figure was made for a shrine dedicated to one of the Yoruba orisa (deities)—possibly Shango, who is associated with the power of thunderstorms, warriors, and kings. The woman’s expression of concentration, her crisp features and incised details, and the energetic pose of the child are characteristic of the acclaimed sculptor Abogunde of Ede. The figure is at once an offering, a container for offerings, and the representation of a devotee presenting an offering.
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