Among the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria, carved wooden fertility figures, most prominently the Èrè Ìbejì (twin figures), are sacred embodiments of spiritual and ancestral presence. Far beyond decorative artistry, these sculptures serve as living ritual vessels. When one twin dies, the bereaved family commissions an ère ìbejì to house the spirit (ẹ̀mí) of the departed child. The figure becomes a symbolic and spiritual substitute, receiving the same care as a living being: it is bathed, dressed, anointed with oil, and offered food or drink.
Ethnographic and museum records, including those of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and the British Museum, confirm that such practices form part of Yoruba domestic spirituality. Through these gestures of devotion, families sustain the connection between the visible and invisible worlds, ensuring the spirit of the lost twin remains benevolent, protective, and integrated within the lineage.
Beyond the commemoration of twins, fertility figures more broadly appear in shrines devoted to goddesses such as Ọ̀ṣun (river and fertility), Yemoja, and Ọbà, or in the homes of priestesses and diviners who seek divine assistance for conception, safe childbirth, or the continuity of family life. During ceremonies, these figures may be rubbed with camwood (osùn) or indigo, clothed with beads or fabric, and symbolically fed, all acts that affirm their sacred vitality and the Yoruba conviction that art mediates between humanity and the divine.
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Form, Materials, and Aesthetic Meaning
Yoruba carvers traditionally use hardwoods such as iroko, ògògò, or ẹ̀kì, chosen for their durability and spiritual resonance. Many sculptures bear traces of red camwood powder, indigo, or other natural pigments once applied during ritual use.
The figures follow Yoruba aesthetic principles of balance, proportion, and composure, traits that embody inner beauty (ìwà l’ẹwà). Faces are calm and symmetrical; coiffures elaborate; and scarification marks carefully incised to reflect lineage, identity, or social prestige. These conventions are not merely stylistic but are channels of àṣẹ, the sacred force that animates both humans and objects.
Although ère ìbejì figures commemorate deceased children, they are typically carved in the image of an ideal adult, symbolizing the individual’s eternal essence rather than their age at death. This representation captures spiritual completeness and beauty, qualities the Yoruba see as defining the true form of the person beyond physical life.
Ritual Practice and Social Function of Èrè Ìbejì
The spiritual life of an ère ìbejì extends well beyond its creation. Families maintain ongoing relationships with the figure through daily or periodic acts of care, washing, dressing, and adorning it with jewelry or beadwork. Offerings of food, oil, or water sustain its vitality, while diviners (babaláwo) may consult it during Ifá divination to understand the causes of infertility, illness, or familial discord.
For families of twins, these practices serve a dual purpose: they honor the deceased while stabilizing the spiritual power associated with twins. In Yoruba cosmology, ìbejì (twins) embody extraordinary energy, capable of bringing both blessing and misfortune. Through careful ritual attention, the family transforms this volatile energy into a protective and beneficent force that safeguards the home.
Ethnographers interpret these practices as expressions of grief, continuity, and moral obligation. The upkeep of the figure ensures emotional healing and spiritual equilibrium, reinforcing the Yoruba value of maintaining balance between the human and spiritual realms.
Twinning and the Yoruba Context (Èrè Ìbejì)
The Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria, especially in communities like Igbo-Ora in Oyo State, have one of the highest documented twinning rates in the world. Modern medical and demographic studies report dizygotic (fraternal) twin rates of up to 45 per 1,000 live births, a pattern that has remained consistent across generations.
This remarkable biological frequency has profoundly influenced Yoruba religion, art, and philosophy. Twins are seen as symbols of divine generosity, fertility, and cosmic duality, representing both the mystery of creation and the principle of complementarity in the universe. Consequently, rituals, songs, dances, and artistic depictions of twins remain integral to Yoruba cultural life, celebrating both biological wonder and spiritual depth.
Colonial Encounters and Museum Dispersal
From the late 19th through the mid-20th century, European collectors, missionaries, and colonial officers acquired large numbers of Yoruba carvings, including ère ìbejì and fertility figures. Some were obtained through trade or sale by local carvers, while others were removed from shrines or confiscated under missionary campaigns against “pagan objects.”
These sculptures entered museum collections in Europe and North America, often stripped of their original ritual context and reclassified as “tribal art” or “ethnographic artifacts.” This shift reduced spiritually active objects to aesthetic curiosities.
Today, scholars and curators seek to recontextualize Yoruba sacred art, acknowledging its religious and social significance. Collaborative research with Yoruba communities informs current exhibitions and restitution dialogues, ensuring these works are understood as carriers of belief, memory, and identity, not merely as art objects.
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Contemporary Relevance and Artistic Legacy of Èrè Ìbejì
Despite urbanization and widespread Christian and Islamic influence, many Yoruba families and traditional towns, including Osogbo, Ila-Orangun, Ibadan, and Oyo, continue to honor ère ìbejì and related fertility traditions. Festivals such as the Igbo-Ora Twins Festival celebrate the enduring link between spirituality, ancestry, and communal joy.
Contemporary Nigerian artists, including Nike Davies-Okundaye, Peju Alatise, and Sokari Douglas Camp, have revived and reinterpreted Yoruba fertility imagery. Through sculpture, performance, and installation, they explore themes of motherhood, lineage, and spiritual continuity, translating traditional symbolism into modern artistic language.
Today’s curatorial practice increasingly presents Yoruba fertility figures as living embodiments of cultural philosophy rather than relics of a distant past. This approach restores the Yoruba understanding that art possesses life and agency, serving as a bridge between ancestry, spirituality, and creativity.
Author’s Note
Yoruba fertility figures, especially the ère ìbejì, stand at the crossroads of art, ritual, and ancestry. They are not passive sculptures but active agents of remembrance and spiritual mediation, linking families to both the divine and the departed. Understanding these figures through the lenses of aesthetic beauty, ritual care, and metaphysical purpose reveals the enduring vitality of Yoruba creativity and belief, where even carved wood breathes with spirit and story.
References:
Smithsonian National Museum of African Art – Ere Ibeji (Female Twin Figure), Collection Database.
British Museum – Ere Ibeji (Yoruba, Nigeria) Collection Entries.
Smarthistory – Ere Ibeji Figures (Yoruba peoples).
Omonkhua, A.A. et al. (2020). “Community perceptions on causes of high dizygotic twinning rate in Igbo-Ora, Nigeria.” PLOS/PMC Journal.
Adewumi, T. (2022). Recontextualising Yoruba Sacred Art in Museum Practice.
Fagg, W. & Pemberton, J. (1982). Yoruba: Sculpture of West Africa.
Drewal, H.J., Abiodun, R., & Pemberton, J. (1989). Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought.
