wood, matt brown patina, in form of a slender, standing figure, holding an item in the left hand, crowned by a high cylindrical headgear, min. dam. (base), fissures, slight traces of abrasion, metal plate;
house posts belong to the most important and prominent sculptures of Yoruba Art. Aside from their function as architectural sculptures to support roofs and hallways in royal palaces, their foremost and symbolic task was to demonstrate royal power and strength. Representation of the king, his family and his retinue showed the sovereign's descent from important ancestors, whereas mother-figures are mostly representations of the queen mother: the continuity of the dynasty was embodied in the origin of the future king.
H: 125,5 cm
Lit.: Eisenhofer, Stefan (Hg.), Kulte, Künstler, Könige in Afrika, Linz 1997, p. 294, ill. III/11.13
Continent: Africa

See description