The big Yoruba Region is divided into many kingdoms, some of them being city- states. They all have the same mythic derivation, the old Kingdom of Ife (not to mix up with today’s city of Ife), where the god Odudua descended from heaven to watch the creation of the world.
The human embodiment of this creational god and therefore the theological leader of all the Yoruba is the reigning Oni of Ife.
Pure bronze figures of this kind originate from the 15th/ 16th century and achieve due to their age and technical brilliancy clearly higher prices than this object, which probably was created about 100 years ago. Nevertheless: despite this our Oni does not lose pride or dignity. |
