THE QUESTION

THE ANSWER

The carving style of the two Ibeji is clearly very similar, therefore it is possible to say that they were made by the same carver. The workshop was in the Oshogbo area and these Ibeji  correspond to the file n. 671 of the “Catalog of the Ibeji” and to the photo n. 385 of the “Encyclopedia of the Ibeji”.  The patina and the camwood traces are also very similar.

The hairstyle is instead very different between the male and the female and this difference could raise some questions if indeed consider them as a pair.

In reality the male is not carved with the hairstyle, but with a hat, called in local language “fila eleti aja”, which means “hat with dog ears”.

This hat is used only by the male Ibeji and, in the mail-female pairs, the female is normally carved with a very different hairstyle.

From this explanation it is possible to understand that these two Ibeji are a pair and not two singles.

A more in depth explanations on the different types of hats, with the corresponding color photos,  can be found on the page 38 of the "Encyclopedia of the Ibeji", in the “Hairstyles” chapter.

                               Fausto Polo

Jean-Pierre from Belgium would like to know if these Ibeji (26 and 27 cm high) are from Oshogbo (Oyo) and if they can be considered a pair.