Yoruba Ivories — Owo Art | La Boheme Quarterly

A wealthy state with close political ties to the neighboring Benin kingdom, Owo was famed for the virtuosity of its ivory carvers. Located on the eastern edge of Yorubaland, Owo is almost equidistant from Benin and Ife, the Yoruba cultural and religious center from which the reigning dynasty in Benin traces its origin. Although some Owo artworks resemble the highly naturalistic brass and terracotta sculptures of Ife, the regalia of Owo’s kings and chiefs is most like that of their counterparts in Benin. · 7 min read

The influence of Benin royal art is particularly apparent in Owo, a Yoruba kingdom that came under Benin control in the fifteenth century and again in the eighteenth. Owo rose to regional prominence in the eighteenth century through trade and conquest, and became one of the largest states in West Africa at that time.

Orufanran Costume Attachment: Ram Head — Yoruba peoples, Owo group, 17th–19th century. Ivory with wood or coconut shell inlay. — **Orufanran Costume Attachment: Ram Head** — Yoruba peoples, Owo group, 17th–19th century

This diminutive ivory ram’s head constituted part of the courtly regalia of an olowo, the ruler of the Yoruba state of Owo in southern Nigeria. It was created as a decorative element of an orufanran, a type of ceremonial ensemble worn by the olowo and high-ranking chiefs during state ceremonies. Consisting of a bulky coat or shirt covered in red flannel scales, the orufanran was studded with ivory images of human faces and the heads of crocodiles, leopards, and rams. The outfit relates to the chief’s military duties, and it is no coincidence that the animals depicted are those characterized by their strength and ferocity.

Despite its small size, this ram’s head is richly embellished with intricate incised designs and dark inlaid wood. Its aesthetic impact relies on a sophisticated interplay of bare and adorned surfaces. While the muzzle is dominated by linear grooves and quatrefoil knots — a motif used extensively in Yoruba art — the forehead presents broad passages of flat surface interrupted by diamonds of squares and circles. The interaction of opposing surfaces continues along the spreading horns that frame the ram’s face. Deep ridges on the horns’ base balance the smooth forehead, while the unadorned tips offset the elaborate motifs on the muzzle.

Udàmalóre — Ceremonial Swords

Udàmalóre (ceremonial sword), 17th–18th century, ivory with wood or coconut shell inlay, from Ijebu-Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria — **Udàmalóre (Ceremonial Sword)** — 17th–18th century

This opulent ivory sword is an udamalore, literally a “sword of the well-born.” It was carried by a high-ranking chief of Owo, a Yoruba state in present-day Nigeria that rose to regional power in the eighteenth century. Worn on the hip, it indicated the power and status of its bearer at public ceremonies and celebrations.

Consisting of a figurative handle and a curved, openwork blade, this udamalore is a stunning example of the works created at this celebrated ivory-carving center. The human head that constitutes the pommel displays a delicate coiffure of repeated chevrons, while the eyes are augmented with dark inlaid wood. The solid base of the blade is decorated with two knot patterns, while the openwork section depicts an Owo chief in ceremonial dress, wearing his own udamalore horizontally on the left hip.

The upraised sword is an uda, used in combat, while the bird refers to the protective spiritual power associated with elderly Yoruba women. In combination, these emblems suggest a ruler who is physically and spiritually equipped to face all the challenges he may confront.

Ifa sword, ritual sword carved in ivory, the handle terminating in a head with a string of beads — **Ifa Sword** — Ritual sword carved in ivory, from Owo, Nigeria. 1874–1878 (circa)

Orufanran Costume Attachments

Owo is renowned for its ivory carving, and many of the ivory ornaments and cups made for Owo’s rulers are similar in form or imagery to objects from Benin. The highest-ranking chiefs of Owo used ivory costume elements to demonstrate their exalted status. An interest in pattern and texture is seen in the many ivory ornaments attached to the Owo rulers’ opulent ceremonial costumes. They portray animal heads and human figures and are often inlaid with dark wood or coconut shell to emphasize their boldly incised designs.

Orufanran Costume Attachment: Leopard Head — Yoruba peoples, Owo group, 17th–19th century — **Orufanran Costume Attachment: Leopard Head** — Yoruba peoples, Owo group, 17th–19th century. On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 342.

Orufanran Costume Attachment: Crocodile Head — Yoruba peoples, Owo group, 17th–19th century — **Orufanran Costume Attachment: Crocodile Head** — Yoruba peoples, Owo group, 17th–19th century

Among the Owo-Yoruba, a red costume (orufaran) is worn by the highest ranking chiefs as a privilege granted by the king (olowo). It consists of a top shirt made of imported red flannel that is scalloped to resemble the scales of an anteater or pangolin. Like the scales of a pangolin, the costume protects its wearer from harm by rendering him invulnerable. Sewn onto the scalloped shirt are a series of carved ivory ornaments (omama) depicting powerful animals such as the ram, crocodile, leopard, or horse.

Lidded Vessels & Cups

Lidded Vessel — Yoruba peoples, Owo group, 17th–18th century, ivory with wood or coconut-shell inlay — **Lidded Vessel** — Yoruba artist, 17th–18th century

This spectacular ivory vessel was once the treasured possession of an olowo, the ruler of the Yoruba kingdom of Owo in present-day southern Nigeria. Much of Owo’s courtly culture, including titles, costumes, and prestige sculpture, reflect a close association between Owo and Benin, two important political and cultural centers.

Prominent and pervasive mudfish and crocodile motifs evoke the king’s praise names, or oriki, that liken him to a vast ocean into which all rivers flow and whose unfathomable depths hold potent secrets and supernatural abilities. It also emphasizes the king’s intimate relationship with Olokun, god of the sea, who brings wealth and fertility to his adherents. The imagery inscribed throughout the surface of this vessel suggests the olowo’s ability to span multiple realms — terrestrial and aquatic, human and divine.

Bowl and lid from Owo, carved from ivory — British Museum, late 18th/early 19th century — **Bowl and Lid from Owo** — Carved ivory, late 18th–early 19th century (circa)

Tankard/Ewer made of ivory with pewter mounts — British Museum, 18th century — **Tankard with Carved Ivory Body and Pewter Mounts** — 18th century (probably)

Ivory lid from Owo — British Museum, snake swallowing a man and other carved figures — **Ivory Lid** — West African carving, perhaps cover of a cup. “Snake swallowing a man, and five figures: man with spear and dagger, man with bow and quiver, man with staff holding the hand of a man seated on a throne.”