Ère ìbejì (commemorative twin figures) with tunic,

late 19th–early 20th century

In Yorùbá society, twins (<em>ìbejì</em>) are spiritually powerful individuals who may bring good or bad luck to their families, depending on how they are treated. In the past, if a twin died, a figure (<em>Ère Ìbejì</em>) was carved to contain its spirit. Cared for as if a living child, the figure was fed, bathed, and washed by its mother, her constant touching blurring its facial features over time. Necklaces of shiny red Abrus seeds further beautify these figures, and may allude to the plant’s medicinal uses; the toxic seeds, however, are deadly when ingested. The elaborate beaded tunic suggests these twins’ royal origins.

Multiple births occur with unusual frequency among the Yoruba, and the portrayal of deceased children in fully mature bodies with large heads and intricate coiffures is a universal practice. Carved at the behest of parents who lost at least one of their twins, <em>ere ibeji</em> were ritually washed, clothed, and fed, replicating the care given to a living child. The miniature images are neither the deceased children’s portraits nor their memorial figures. Rather, they serve to embody the "living dead" and to perpetuate the <em>ase</em>, or life force, of the lost child. Beaded regalia were usually a royal prerogative, and the interlace pattern also suggests that these <em>ere ibeji</em> belonged to a royal mother. The red, gold, and white color scheme of the beads refers to Shango, the Yoruba god who was the protector of twins. Shango himself was an <em>oba</em>, or king, another indication of a royal relationship.