Comments about Yoruba wooden sculpture, between 1890 and 1940.
The Yoruba people are a large ethnic group found in North central Nigeria and South central Benin of 40 million people, however communities in the diaspora can be found in Brazil, Trinidad,Argentina, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Granada and the United states and adherents following aspects of Yoruba religious thought total 100 million worldwide.
Religious practice and ritual have produced a quantity of sculpture. Much of the artwork produced between 1890 and 1940 was unsigned, and therefore anonymous. Over time unless the artist was considered eminent, the authorship of some pieces passed from memory. Today, many pieces remain without provenance.
In current times, internet exposure, available to any artist circumvents this problem.
Briefly one can say that sculptors at this time, worked within the artistic or visual language of the Yoruba people. Styles, ways of carving sculpture and the subject matter vary according to the era in which they are done. The artist’s work is further influenced by regional perspectives, local history, ritual, myths and personal ingenuity. The specifications of his patron also reflect in the commissioned work.
Besides his tutorship, the artist’s concepts and portrayals originates from his unique subjective approach, perception and humour. This is especially evident in the work of renowned artist Olowi of Esi.
The large corpus of Yoruba artwork in existence was produced using specialized technical skills, for many different materials. i.e: for crafting bronze, ivory, wood, terracotta, stone, bead work and fabric. Each genre is almost self-referential, with its own stylistic characteristics, indicative of the function and era in which it was made. Artists of different gender specialized in particular fields.
During Colonialism, a new genre of carving also developed- that which wasn't made for ritual purposes or commissioned by Nigerian patrons, but would appeal to ex-patriates and tourists. For example: In this instance, depictions of Queen Victoria sold well to Europeans. Sculptors then also catered to this market.
During Colonialism, artists depictions reflected their changing world. Consumer items and status symbols were added to sculpture, like wristwatches and new modes of clothing. This pillar includes a co-ço pan, referencing new methods of industry and employment opportunities.
Scholars and anthropologists have devoted tomes to discussing incredible Yoruba art, through the perspective of history, poetry, verse, artistic heritage and complex ceremonies. In short perhaps we know more about the diversity of Yoruba culture and their pantheon of deities, than we do about other ethnic groups.
Besides the wonderful pieces to be seen in museums, there are other perspectives of Yoruba art, that tend towards bias. According to many European cognoscenti, Yoruba art is designated as the drab second cousin of great Congolese art.
But their styles and concepts are totally different, and difficult to compare.
Yoruba sculpture, has been panned as being provincial, representational, lacking in spirituality, and vitality. A cursory glance at international market prices will substantiate this view. However, its value in the future, deserves reassessment.
Subject to the diaspora, Yoruba concepts and style were exported the world over by the practice of slavery and later the art market, so perhaps critics disdain is partly due to the plethora of circulating pieces in existence. By this I mean Yoruba art is perceived as being commonplace and not rare enough.
Another hurdle in its international appreciation is the local practice of re-doing paint applications to the surface of sculpture, generally performed periodically to re-empower a piece. This challenges the preconceptions of Europeans, accustomed to a plain wood finish or the veneer of antiquity evident as a glossy patina on sculpture. The latter technique is understood as being sought after by the retail market and is usually contrived for prospective clients, by a host of youngsters with polish and brush in West African countries, like Ivory Coast.
Representation is another issue. Perhaps the subject matter in Yoruba art, of portraying ancestors, heroes, royals, Gods and commoners was an artistic device inherited from a society steeped in historical city states and where the three dimensional portrayal of ancestors was the norm. So why is Yoruba sculpture denigrated for following traditional convention?
Examining sculpture surviving from the late1800s until 1940, one notes a particular clarity of content and form. The simplicity of the carver’s vision, lends an honesty to their work. This work doesn’t shout at you, but quietly commands your attention. Quoting Robert Thompson in 1971…
”the clarity and tranquillity of the representation makes the reader realize, by contrast, to what extent human beings the world over err on the side of anger, impatience and jealousy. The artists of the Yoruba have dared to suggest, in a world of discord and displeasure, the presence of ideal divine justice. The world is consequently forever richer because of their works…”
At the heart of Yoruba aesthetics, are the concepts of balance and support, both morally and figuratively, within the family and society. Figures are symmetrical, dignified and carved with restraint. The female form, is depicted as a gentle portrayal of character and humbleness: kneeling, with hands placed on the belly implying fertility. Carved on pillars or pedestals, these stylized images, serve another function: they are viewed by the passer by, serving as inspiration and a constant reminder, thereby shaping the attitudes, perceptions and values of the next generation.
A maverick was Olowe of Esi, who’s work shows all these ideals. And more. His stylized figures of traditional women are beautifully portrayed with elongated necks, faces and pronounced coiffures. The portrayals are concise, with an interplay of negative shapes in masterfully conceived compositions.
Faces are characteristic, with large bulging eyes and exposed teeth. However underlying his work, was a fertile imagination and a mature vision. He shows humour and occasionally, a delight in the macabre and this subject matter possibly reflects local proverbs. One example is the door depicting a series of faces where the eyes are gleefully plucked by birds. A large textile container has the same motif. Another is a female figure gracefully supporting a container under which a trophy head, rolls around freely.
Olowi was audacious and bold in his conceptions. He was renowned as an architectural sculptor carving palace doors and pillars in many regions: (Ise, Owa,, Ijesa, Akoka, Ikare and Ekiti). Notably, he innovated the way carved friezes and vignettes of village life were dynamically portrayed on doors. Figures, sculptured partly in the round, protruded from the surface, imparting a greater sense of lively-ness and movement to the image, reminiscent of historic Nigerian bronze casting.
Backgrounds were busy - embellished with geometric designs, lines and zigzags. Most sculpture was painted, adding a further dimension to the image. Yoruba praise poetry and songs preserving details of an individual’s life, portrays Olowi as: ” he who carves the Iroko tree with the ease of carving a calabash.”
He left a large corpus of work, carving both ritual and secular pieces and was reported to have a workshop with 15 apprentices toiling away at tables, chairs, drums, bowls, Epa masks and ritual objects.
As one of the most famous sculptors in Nigeria, it is logical that he is imitated today.