Twin Figure

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Culture Yorùbá

Title Twin Figure (Ere Ibeji)

Date Unknown

Medium Wood, shell, beads, metal, cowrie shells, and and fiber

Dimensions Object: 10 13/16 × 4 1/16 × 2 1/2 in. (27.5 × 10.3 × 6.4 cm)
Overall: 10 13/16 × 4 1/16 × 2 1/2 in. (27.5 × 10.3 × 6.4 cm)

Credit Line Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Heinich, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 94.89

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About this Work

A Yoruba twin figure commemorates a deceased twin, whose mother acquires the figure and cares for it by carrying, feeding, clothing, and washing it as she would a real baby. The spirits of twins are believed to have special powers, and by honoring the spirit of one that has died, a mother hopes to ensure prosperity for her family.

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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Twin Figure | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=94.89