Figure
Yoruba; Edo (Benin)
Description
Subject Matter:
In Owo Yoruba thought, the ram can be seen as a symbol for ancestors with its alertness, strength, and fighting ability. Osanmasinmi, or ram's head figures, placed at the altars of high-ranking Owo leaders allowed for communication with their ancestors. This figure features a ram's head, but it also includes a bird perched at the top. Most osanmasinmi consist of only a ram's head or a human head with ram's horns. Similar figures have been noted in Ishan, and both are thought to have a common source in the kingdom of Benin, what is today Edo State, Nigeria.
References Cited:
Drewal, Henry John, John Pemberton III and Rowland Abiodun. 1989. Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought. New York: The Center for African Art.
Physical Description:
Wooden composite sculpture with the lower portion representing a ram's head and the upper half representing a bird, with its beak facing downwards.
Usage Rights:
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