Twin Figures (ere ibeji)

"Ere ibeji" are carved by the Yoruba primarily as devotional figures representing twins. The Yoruba have the highest recorded birth rate for twins in the world. Because twins are considered to be spiritually powerful beings, a mother would commission "ere ibeji" for her personal shrine. If one or both twins in a family were to die, the mother would commission and care for figures to appease the spirit of the deceased. As twins have the power to provide considerable good, or to inflict harm, "ibeji" figures are the center of ongoing domestic rituals that might include washing, dressing, and feeding of the objects. This pair’s patina suggests continued handling and care.