Yoruba art
Image:Yoruba-bronze-head.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Mask for King Obalufon II; ; copper; height: 29.2 cm; discovered at Ife; Ife Museum of Antiquities
The Yoruba of West Africa are responsible for a distinct artistic tradition in Africa, a tradition that remains vital and influential today.
Much of the art of the Yoruba, including staffs, court dress, and beadwork for crowns, is associated with the royal courts. The courts also commissioned numerous architectural objects such as veranda posts, gates, and doors that are embellished with carvings. Other Yoruba art is related shrines and masking traditions. The Yoruba worship a large pantheon of deities, and shrines dedicated to these gods are adorned with carvings and house an array of altar figures and other ritual paraphernalia. Masking traditions vary regionally, and a wide range of mask types are employed in various festivals and celebrations.
History
In the period around 800CE the artists at Ife developed a refined and naturalistic sculptural tradition in terracotta, stone and copper alloy—copper, brass, and bronze— many of which appear to have been created under the patronage of King Obalufon II, the man who today is identified as the Yoruba patron deity of brass casting, weaving and regalia.There have been a series of Yoruba kingdoms over the past nine centuries. The Ife Empire was the earliest of these; It had cultural influence over the Oyo, Owo, and Benin kingdoms, whose royal courts are said to have learned their art from Ife masters. Early art-historical and archaeological records reinforce these strong affiliations with Ife culture as far back as the 14th century.
Yoruba kingdoms prospered until the slave trade and warfare of the nineteenth century took their toll. One of the effects of this devastation was the dispersal of millions of Yoruba all over the world. This resulted in a strong Yoruba character in the artistic, religious and social lives of Africans in the New World.
Timeline
Henry Drewal, John Pemberton and Rowland Abiodun propose the following stages in the development of art in Ife:- Archaic Era, before 800 CE
- Pre-Pavement Era, 800–1000
- Early Pavement Era, 1000–1200
- Late Pavement Era, 1200–1400
- Post-Pavement Era, 1400 –
- Stylized Humanism Era, – present
Art and life in Yoruba culture
The custom of art and artists among the Yoruba is deeply rooted in the Ifá literary corpus, indicating the orishas Ogun, Obatala, Oshun and Obalufon as central to creation mythology including artistry.In order to fully understand the centrality of art in Yoruba thought, one must be aware of their cosmology, which traces the origin of existence to a Supreme Divinity called Olódùmarè, the generator of ase, the enabling power that sustains and transforms the universe. To the Yoruba, art began when Olódùmarè commissioned the artist deity Obatala to mold the first human image from clay. Today, it is customary for the Yoruba to wish pregnant women good luck with the greeting: May Obatala fashion for us a good work of art.
The concept of ase influences how many of the Yoruba arts are composed. In the visual arts, a design may be segmented or seriate—a "discontinuous aggregate in which the units of the whole are discrete and share equal value with the other units." Such elements can be seen in Ifa trays and bowls, veranda posts, carved doors, and ancestral masks.
The importance of the Orí in Yoruba art and culture
The Orí-Inú, or the inner spiritual head, is very important to the Yoruba people. One's Orí-Inú is very important in terms of existing in the world. The priority goes to the Orí for any household. Thus, shrines are built in the houses. An Orí is visually represented through symbolic items within sacrifice or rituals, or more common in houses, would be terra cotta head figures. The Orí can usually determine the outcome of life for each person. Before being put into earth, each person must select their own Orí. Ajala may sometimes produce bad Orí, which this may affect the lives of those people. Sacrifices and rites happen as well in order to satisfy Orí-Isese, which is the supreme ruler over all Orí. The primary functions for sacrifices are to ward off evil and bring in good fortune and happiness.Anonymity and authorship in African art
The issue of anonymity and authorship has long troubled the field of African art history, particularly as it relates to the political disparities between Africa and the West. Such information was, at least initially, rarely sought in the field and deemed unnecessary and even undesirable by many collectors. Susan Mullin Vogel has identified a further paradox. "n their own societies," she writes, "African artists are known and even famous, but their names are rarely preserved in connection with specific works.... More often than not, the African sculptor becomes virtually irrelevant to the life of the art object once his work is complete.... Cultures preserve the information they value."The problem of anonymity in Yoruba art in particular is troubling in the context of Yoruba culture where "it is absolutely imperative for individuals to acknowledge each other's identity and presence from moment to moment, there is a special greeting for every occasion and each time of day."
Several Yoruba artists' names are known, including:
- Bangboshe of Osi Ilorin
- Bandele Areogun of Osi
- Master of Ikare
- Lamidi Fakeye
- Olowe of Ise
Metal arts
Yoruba blacksmiths create sculpture from iron, through hand-beating, welding, and casting. Ogun is honored as the god of iron.Metalworkers also create brass sculptures by lost-wax casting. Brass is seen as being incorruptible by the Ogboni society.