Vente aux enchères en direct 5971An English Look - Robert Kime, Piers von Westenholz, David Bedale and James Graham-Stewart
Lot 356

A YORUBA COWRIE-SHELL 'HOUSE OF THE HEAD' AND FIVE AFRICAN COILWORK BASKETS

20TH CENTURY

Fermé8 July 2009

Prix réalisé

GBP 812

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A YORUBA COWRIE-SHELL 'HOUSE OF THE HEAD' AND FIVE AFRICAN COILWORK BASKETS
20TH CENTURY
13½ in. (34 cm.) high and smaller

Note du spécialiste

The ile ori or 'house of the head' is made to contain the ibori, a small conical leather pouch sewn with cowrie shells which symbolizes a person's 'inner head'. According to Hans Witte (1994) this 'inner head' presides over a person's destiny and acts and his ambassador to the other world and is therefore an object of much personal devotion and sacrifice.