Yoruba house posts
Obembe Alaye
(Nigerian, about 1869–1939)
early 20th century
Object PlaceEfon Alaiya Village, Editi district, Nigeria
Medium/TechniqueWood and pigment
Dimensions210.82 cm (83 in.)
Credit LineGift of William E. and Bertha L. Teel
Accession number1996.388
On View
On viewClassificationsSculpture
Collections
Yoruba cities are often dominated by extensive, centrally located palaces with verandas and courtyards. Roofs are supported by wooden posts, sometimes carved with images of royal stability and power. Obembe Alaye carved this pair for the Efon-Alaye palace. Each post is composed of one warrior and two female figures. All are large-headed and sharp-featured three-dimensional forms encased in a darkened patina of red, green, and black paint. Three of the women hold infants; one warrior is on horseback; the other bears a spear and musket. One base is rectangular, the other dome-shaped, and the tops terminate with reliefs of spears.
ProvenanceFrom the palace at Efon-Alaye. Private collection, Europe. December 14, 1992, sold by Pace Primitive and Ancient Art, New York (stock no. 54-0291), to William and Bertha Teel, Marblehead, MA; 1996, partial gift of William and Bertha Teel to the MFA; 2014, acquired fully with the bequest of William Teel to the MFA. (Accession Dates: December 18, 1996 and February 26, 2014)
