Shango’s Wife
Lamidi Fakeye
Description
Subject Matter:
These two figures were purchased directly from the artist Lamidi Fakeye by a Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Nigeria, right before she was evacuated from the country in 1967 following the outbreak of a brutal civil war. Fakeye was a fifth-generation carver who became a favorite among Peace Corps volunteers and other foreigners stationed in Nigeria. His carvings gained such a reputation that he was asked to make them for buildings around the world, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and he was a frequent artist-in-residence at Western Michigan University and other universities in the United States and Europe. While Fakeye’s carvings reference the Yoruba cultural traditions he was raised in, they were not meant to be used in ceremonies or rituals. His work was intended to be exported and displayed in collectors’ homes and in museums.
Physical Description:
Carved female figure with a child on her back. She carries a basket and balances another container on her head. The base of the piece has a double-layered chevron pattern.
Usage Rights:
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