According to Yoruba legend, the ibeji—united and inseparable twins—were sent into the world by monkeys, whose knowledge of nature’s secrets surpasses that of men. Regarded as sacred, they are venerated in a cult based on statuettes, the ere ibeji, which are commissioned from master sculptors by the families of the deceased twins. The eighty works from Benin and Nigeria presented in this book reflect the incredible stylistic diversity and beauty of these silent symbols of an age-old tradition—an eloquent expression of the creative potential of African art.
