The Yoruba beaded crown is the most important symbol of Yoruba kingship. The crown is a carefully constructed cone of beads with a fringe that covers the wearer’s face. The purpose of the crown is to eliminate the individuals’ personality and to supplant it with the divine power of the dynasty.
What is the significance of beads in Yoruba art?
As Yoruba scholar Henry Drewal wrote (1998, 17), “A bead—a colored and coloring form that reflects, transmits, and transforms light—also transforms the objects and persons it adorns…. When threaded together, beads stand for unity, togetherness, and solidarity….
What is the significance of the long strands of hanging beads on the Yoruba crown?
A beaded cone-shaped crown with a long fringe of beads that covers the wearer’s face is the most important symbol of Yoruba kingship. Beaded crowns signify that the king-wearer can trace his ancestry to Odudua, the mythical founder of the sixteen original Yoruba kingdoms.
Who or what does the leopard symbolize in Benin iconography quizlet?
– Leopard is a symbol of the royalty, especially to the Oba.
What do birds symbolize in Yoruba culture?
These birds signify a divine force called áshe (ah-SHE)—the power to make things happen—which only the highest Yoruba men and women possess. … On the crown, the birds symbolize the king’s power and the mothers’ power to protect him and the people.
What do beads symbolize?
Beads, whether sewn on apparel or worn on strings, have symbolic meanings that are far removed from the simplistic empiricism of the Western anthropologist. They, or pendants, may for instance be protective, warding off evil spirits or spells, or they can be good luck charms.
What are Yoruba beads?
Yoruba waist beads are also called Ileke, Jigida, and Lagidigba. They are worn mainly by females, from the littlest to the oldest. These beads are made from small pieces of glass, nuts, wood, or metal which are pierced, strung, and threaded together.
What is the purpose of the beaded veil on the beaded Yoruba crown from Africa?
The beaded veil that hangs down from the headdress is an important part of the crown. By covering the king’s face, the veil downplays the king’s identity as an individual and reinforces his role as divine leader. The veil is also said to protect onlookers from the king’s powerful gaze.
What does the leopard symbolize in Benin iconography?
The leopard was once the emblem of power for the exclusive use of the oba or king of Benin, representing triumph of people over the wild. … It was a symbol of fear as well as a leader in the animal kingdom.
What is the reason for the inclusion of mudfish and leopards in the plaque showing the Oba holding leopards?
What is the reason for the inclusion of mudfish and leopards in the plaque showing the Oba holding leopards? They demonstrate the king’s kinship with the gods of water and his rule over nature.
What is Biiga doll used for?
The wooden doll has two major functions: it is the yisa biiga (“to call the child”) that permits the infant’s soul to enter the world of his parents, and the gidga ti da biiga lebera mê (“to prevent the child from returning”) that assures that the child will remain with his mother and clan and not return to the world …
Who is a king in Yoruba land?
Oba means ruler in the Yoruba and Bini languages of West Africa. Kings in Yorubaland, a region which is in the modern republics of Benin, Nigeria and Togo, make use of it as a pre-nominal honorific. Examples of Yoruba bearers include Oba Ogunwusi of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyemi of Oyo, and Oba Akiolu of Lagos.
What is D English name of Okete?
Pouch Rat -Okete. Wild Goat -Edu. A specie of Deer -Ekulu.
Is Ile-Ife a crown?
For the Ooni of Ife, there are different crowns available to him, but the most important and sacred is the Are crown, which a new Ooni must wear before being installed. The sacred Are crown is the only physical symbol of authority that the Ooni inherited from his ancestors.