Pair of Royal Posts

Origin: Yoruba Tribe, Nigeria
Composition: wood (one piece), pigment dyes

Yoruba carved posts like these are architectural elements found in royal residences and at the entrances to orisha shrines. Used to support the roof, Yoruba artists explored the metaphoric possibilities of this function in their detailed carving, often portraying figures of power. The supporting female figure on this post is tied to the earth, or the natural world, through her ability to give life. She 'supports' the male hunter or warrior who 'sustains life with death.' Although the structure is hierarchical, the relationship is one of reciprocity (Ref: Sotheby's, 1999).