Yoruba Ibeji Figure

Ibeji figures are tied to the Yoruba practice of honoring twins who have died in infancy or childhood, and each figure is carved to take on the spiritual presence of the lost child. The family treats the figure as they would a living child, which is why ibeji so often show polished surfaces, signs of washing, and the addition of beads or small metal ornaments over time. This figure carries metal elements consistent with that care, reflecting the attention it received across its life in a Yoruba household in Nigeria.