Altar figure (onílé)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Altar figure (onílé)

Date
possibly 1700s
Medium
Copper alloy
Culture
Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker
Department
African Art
Institution
Cleveland Museum of Art
Object ID
165164

From the Cleveland Museum of Art record

This figure of a horse and rider is related to the Ògbóni society, whose responsibilities include the burial of titleholders and leaders and the judgment and punishment of criminals. A counterweight to the authority of the king, it is also responsible for the selection, installation, and removal of rulers. Probably once forming a pair with a female figure, the equestrian symbolized the king’s male ancestors. Images of horses and riders cast in copper alloy are rare among Yoruba sculptures.

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Provenance & credit

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Credit line
Alma Kroeger Fund
Provenance
?–2007: (Lucien van de Velde, Antwerp, Belgium, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) | 2007–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

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