Yoruba peoples, Owo region, Nigeria
16th to 18th century
Ivory
7.5 x 12.8 x 12.8 cm (2 15/16 x 5 1/16 x 5 1/16 in.)
7.9 x 13.2 x 13.2 cm (3 1/8 x 5 3/16 x 5 3/16 in.)
2005-6-7.1, 2005-6-7.2, gift of Walt Disney World Co., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (cat. no. 65)
More/Less Information
This pair of armlets may have been part of the regalia of the Olowo of Owo, a Yoruba king. The motifs evoke the spiritual forces that shape the world and are controlled by the ruler. The head with creatures issuing from the nostrils suggests the loosing of inner spiritual forces. Similarly the fish-legged figure is a being that transcends the realms of land and water and symbolizes Olokun, god of the sea.
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