Yoruba (Nigeria) Ibeji Figures Wood, beads, pigment, bean meal encrustation Yoruba (Nigeria) Ibeji Figures Wood, beads, pigment, bean meal encrustation

Ibeji figures provide examples of the interest in twin births for the Yoruba people of Nigeria. While this pair offers a wonderful example of ibeji imagery, it also demonstrates a great deal of information regarding the Yoruba culture. The Yoruba have the highest rate of twin births in the world -- as many as 45 sets of twins per 1,000 births. This represents nearly five times as many twin births as occur in the United States. In the Yoruba culture, it is believed that twins possess one soul and have special powers to bring their family good luck and great wealth. In addition to evincing the importance of twins to the Yoruba society, ibeji figures suggest the importance of the afterlife in West African culture. When one member or both members of a set of twins die, it customary for the twins' parents to commission ibeji carvings or twin statuettes. The deceased is believed to live through the figure or statuette. The statuettes are then placed in the center of an altar within the family home. Members of the family worship the wooden ibejis and wash, cloth, feed, and adorned them with jewelry and other items. This attention insures that the family would continue to enjoy the good luck that the twin birth initially brought to their home and family life.