The Yoruba have been living in advanced urban kingdoms for more than 1,500 years. They created a strong economy through farming, trading, and art production. Their outstanding and unique artistic traditions include woodcarving, sculpture, metal work, textiles, and beadwork.

What is Yoruba craft?

The Yoruba have traditionally been among the most skilled and productive craftsmen of Africa. They worked at such trades as blacksmithing, weaving, leatherworking, glassmaking, and ivory and wood carving. Yoruba women engage in cotton spinning, basketry, and dyeing.

Why is the head important in Yoruba art?

To Yorùbá generally, the head is regarded as the most important part of the body because it houses the most essential parts that coordinate human activities—the eyes, ears, mouth and nose.

What is Ife art?

The artists of Ife developed a refined and highly naturalistic sculptural tradition in stone, terracotta, brass and copper and created a style unlike anything in Africa at the time. The technical sophistication of the casting process is matched by the artworks’ enduring beauty.

What makes the Yoruba culture unique?

Yoruba people are talented sculptors. They are also very creative and well-known for their unique clothing patterns and designs. Like many ethnic groups, the Yoruba nation firmly believes that with death the person’s life does not end – they only transition to the different existence form.

What religion is Yoruba?

The Yoruba religion system comprises of traditional practices and spiritual concepts which has evolved into a robust religious system. The Yoruba traditional religion believes that all human beings pass through what is known as Ayanmo which translate to destiny or fate.

What is Ile Ori?

A “house of the head,” ile ori, is designed to contain a person’s inner spiritual essence and identity. In Yoruba thought, individual character is defined by the essential nature that is situated in one’s inner head. This mixed-media sculpture is a symbol of leadership that embodies Yoruba notions of individuality.

What were NOK heads used for?

Little is known of the original function of the pieces, but theories include ancestor portrayal, grave markers, and charms to prevent crop failure, infertility, and illness. Also, based on the dome-shaped bases found on several figures, they could have been used as finials for the roofs of ancient structures.

Are Yorubas from Mecca?

The Yoruba people and descendant are black people who occupies the south-western area of Nigeria in Africa. The origin and existence of the Yoruba race can be traced to their ancient father ODUDUWA who migrated from the ancient city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

What are the Arts and crafts of Yoruba?

The arts of the Yoruba are as numerous as their deities, and many objects are placed on shrines to honor the gods and the ancestors. Beautiful sculpture abounds in wood and brass and the occasional terracotta. Varied masking traditions have resulted in a great diversity of mask forms.

What is the origin of the Yoruba culture?

The oral history of the Yoruba describes an origin myth, which tells of God lowering a chain at Ile-Ife, down which came Oduduwa, the ancestor of all people, bringing with him a cock, some earth, and a palm kernel.

What is the role of the Ogboni in Yoruba culture?

A council of chiefs usually assists the Oba in his decisions. Title associations, such as the Ogboni, play an important role in assigning and balancing power within the cities. The Yoruba claim that they have 401 deities; in truth, there are more than these.

Who is the high god of Yoruba religion?

Yoruba deities are known as orisha, and the high god is Olorun. No organized priesthoods or shrines exist in honor of Olorun, but his spirit is invoked to ask for blessings and to confer thanks. The Yoruba believe that when they die they enter the realm of the ancestors where they still have influence on earth.