Iwo Yoruba
Nigeria
Ogboni Chief's Textile
INV-1435
Iwo Yoruba
NigeriaEarly-mid-20th century
Ogboni Chief's Textile
Iwo Yoruba Nigeria →yorubaArts of AfricaafricanCoastal West Africatextileneedlework (visual works)
Date
Early-mid-20th century
Medium
Cotton, indigo dyed; sixteen strips of plain weave, joined by hand stitching; embroidered with wool in chain stitches; edged with cotton, buttonhole stitched uncut fringe
Dimensions
162.5 × 275.6 cm (64 × 108 1/2 in.); Approximate strip: W.: 10 cm (4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
O. Renard Goltra Fund
An elder of the Ogboni council—a sociopolitical society of the Iwo Yoruba in Nigeria—would have worn this elaborately embroidered textile during important ceremonies and moments of significant transition, like the coronation or burial of a king. The Yoruba believe in the sacred unity of three cosmic spheres, expressed in the three bands of designs that decorate the garment. The birds symbolize the ability to hover above and move between spiritual and earthly realms. In this composition they also represent Ìyàmi, women who wield spiritual powers of elemental creation, destruction, and healing.
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