Veranda Post

The top figure’s expression and pose on this veranda post suggest tranquility and stability, essential traits of an elite Yoruba woman and mother in a chiefly household. Her elegant hairstyle and large proportion, in contrast to the other figures, further emphasize her importance. Beaded necklaces suggest she may also be a priestess. Her children, positioned below her palms and another wrapped to her back, are almost unnoticeable. A female figure below serves as a support; her kneeling pose and gesture suggest generosity and "olumeye," meaning “the one knowing honor.” The sculptor Agbonbiofe was the most prominent of the Adeshina family of artists from the town of Efon-Alaaye, during the first decades of the 20th century.