IBEJI PAIR OF WOODEN FIGURES (THE TWIN FOCUS)

The “IBEJI” is a sculpture from the people of Yoruba, a tribe in Nigeria. The people of Yoruba are said to be great bearers of twins and as a result, twins are traditionally very important to them. Ibeji is a term in the Yoruba language which means “twins”. It is also a carved wooden figure made to house the soul of a dead twin. These wooden figures are carved six to ten inches high.

Ere Ibeji as it is commonly called, is a carved figure intended to house the soul of one or two twins in case they die. The Yoruba religion believes that both twins share one soul, therefore if one twin dies at a young age, the balance of the soul is thrown of or disturbed, hence these souls are transferred into the Ibeji which represents the dead twin.

In earlier times, the Yoruba people believed that new-born twins were evil, had monstrous abnormalities and they were mostly killed. However, by the middle of the 18th century such believes were reversed and twins came to be seen as a blessing and were mostly referred to as minor deities. Their arrival was believed to bring good fortune for the family. By the 19^th century, the cult of the “Ere Ibeji” was firmly established and continues till date. The death of one twin is regarded as a great calamity for the family, one which requires immediate appeasement of the soul of the deceased child.

A PAIR OF IBEJI

The cultural grieving process of the twins in the Yoruba religion is observed by the carving of a figure known as the Ere Ibeji; (Ibi means born, Eji means two, and Ere means sacred image) which represents both the lost child and serves as a ritual point of contact with the deceased soul. The carving of the Ere Ibeji is commissioned under the guidance of an “Ifa diviner”, a Babalowo, whom the parents consult in selecting in selecting the particular artist who will do the work.

The sculpture represents a deceased infant but is carved with features and attributes of an adult. The sculptural features of genitalia, pubic hair, wide hips, developed breast, gender specific facial scarification and erotic sexuality.

When the carving is completed, it is brought to the family house and placed on a shrine dedicated to Elagba with the hope that the Orisha or soul, which was split in two parts when the twins were born, will now again reside in the figure (Ibeji). After this process, the figure remains as respected and as powerful as the person it represents. The children’s parents must treat the statue as if it were real; hence it is bathed, fed and clothed just as it would be in life, mostly in the same clothes as the living partner. The figure is particularly special to the mother, who keeps the figure close to her bed. She rubs the figure with red wood powder to maintain the look of sleekness, and she caresses the figure in a loving manner. Rituals and prayers are performed for the child’s birthday and other celebrations.

IBEJI TWIN SCULPTURE

The style in which the “Ibeji” is carved carries a lot of symbolic meaning and can be seen as an object for non-verbal communication. Here, the head of the figure is associated with the child’s destiny, which measures the success or failure of the child. The size of the head is one-third the size of the body because the head is where the spirit is believed to reside. The figure is very detailed, but it is only a symbol of the child and not intended to be a realistic likeness but rather a resemblance of human. The surface of the feature is smooth. However the figure is motionless to represent discipline, serenity, and confidence. It is sometimes made to hold symbolic items. For example, if it holds shells or beads, it may invoke certain gods or indicate wealth. The Ibeji is expected and believed to avert evil from the household, strengthen the manifestations of family love, stare down death, and bring good fortune to all who treat it with respect and offer it tokens of affection. It may also endanger family members and friends with bad fortune and curses if it is ignored. The meanings that the people attach to this figure are as a result of their culture and believe.

                                                          A DISPLAY OF IBEJI  

THE FANTE’S AND ASANTE’S FERTILITY DOLL, “AKUA’BA”

A thorough observation of my last few posts shows that I aimed at educating you on the main carvers of wood sculptures, the types of wood used, as well as the kinds of tools that help in wood carvings. It has been an exciting journey so far. However, it is time to move back to the topic of focus, which is non-verbal communication through sculptures and wood carvings in Africa.

The sculptures and wood carvings that are carved in Africa isn't just for only beautification and decoration but also used to communicate specific and significant meanings. People of various cultures have associated their sculptures with certain meanings and explanations. As a result, without uttering a word, one can tell the use and purpose of sculptures with just a glimpse. The meaning that is associated with a particular sculpture is as a result of the cultural and societal background or values of the people.

Today I will be looking at both the Fante’s and Asante’s fertility dolls, “Akua’ba”. The Fante people are from the south-western coastal region of Ghana, whiles the Asante’s are in the central parts of Ghana. They are known for their famous “fertility dolls” and the impact in the lives of the people, especially the females.

FANTE'S AND ASANTE'S FERTILITY DOLLS

                                                                                                                                  Asante carvers are famed for their female dolls, known as Akua’ba. The legend of the origination of the doll comes from the story of a woman named Akua   who could not get pregnant and went to a local diviner or priest and commissioned the carving of a small wooden doll. She carried and cared for the doll as if it were her own child, feeding it, bathing it and all. Soon the people in the village started calling it “Akua ba”- meaning “Akua’s child”, since “ba” mearnt child. The legend and tradition continued as most carvers carved these “Akua’ba” dolls and people bought it with the believe that it will free them from a barren situation and it worked for them.

          As a result, if an Asante woman had difficulty conceiving, she would be encouraged to visit a local shrine accompanied by a senior woman in her family. At the shrine, she is made to purchase the “Akua’ba”, which would be placed for a period on the altar, later to be reclaimed by the woman along with certain medicines. The sculpture was then carried, fed, bathed and cared for by the woman as if it was a living baby. It was thought that in doing this the woman would have a better chance to have a healthy and beautiful baby. Once the woman conceived and had a successful delivery, she would return the figure to the shrine as a form of offering. But if the child died, the “Akua’ba” might be kept by the woman as a memorial.

The Fante and Bono people who live respectively to the south and the north of the Asante’s also employ “Akua’ba” dolls, but they are carved in a different style. The Fante’s used Akua’ba dolls for the same purpose as those of the Asante’s, however; the types are differentiated based on the style. Whiles the heads of the Fante dolls are rectangular, those of the Asante’s are round, flat and disk like.

The symbolism of these dolls is specific. In the case of the Asanti’s, the flat, disk like head is a strongly exaggerated conception of the Akan ideal of beauty. They consider round or oval shaped heads as ideal and this is accomplished in actual practice by the gently modeling of an infant soft cranial bones. Also, the flatness of the figures is practical when they are carried against the back wrapped in the skirt. Also, standard is the ringed neck, a convention for rolls of fat and hence stands for beauty and prosperity. The small scars seen on the faces of many “Akua,ba” are those made for medicidinal purposes and protection against convulsions. Most Asante “Akua’ba” have abstracted, horizontal arms and a cylindrical torso with breasts and a navel, but ending in a base rather than human legs. The Akua’ba dolls are about 20 and 40 cm in height.

Aaa                                

ASANTE FERTILITY DOLL

                                                                                                                                  In the case of the Fante fertility dolls, it is mostly painted black and seen rarely with hands. They have rectangular head and do the same functions and believe as the Asante fertility dolls.

FANTE FERTILITY DOLL

                                                                                                          The Fante and Asante fertility dolls, ”Akua’ba” represents one way which shows how we use sculptures to communicate non-verbally. The meaning attached to these dolls have sung deep  into the mind of women that live in these communities, hence they tend to turn to  the dolls as their last resort when they find difficulties in bearing.

                                             FANTE AND ASANTE FERTILITY DOLLS ON DISPLAY