Nigeria, Yoruba Peoples | Ere Ibeji Figures

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The Yoruba people of Nigeria, West Africa have a high birth rate of twins, one of the highest in the world in fact, out of every 1000 births 45 children are born a twin. Despite the high prevalence of twins they are considered auspicious and special, possessing one soul, and must be carefully nurtured.

The figures offered here ere ibeji (‘ere’ means sacred image, ‘ibi’, means born and ‘eji’ means two). A family would look after these figures as if they were real twins, feeding, bathing, carrying them like babies and adorning them in fine clothes (like the beaded jackets offered in lots 152, 153). Rituals are performed on significant occasions, to ensure the balance of this shared soul. There is often wear from this process over the generations as evidenced in the next lot with wear to some of the carved details.

Interestingly a first born Yoruba twin is called 'Taiwo', meaning ‘having the first taste of the world’, and the second born is called 'Kehinde', which means ‘arriving after the other’.