Detail View: The AMICA Library: Door
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AMICA ID:
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MIA_.92.58
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AMICA Library Year:
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1998
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Object Type:
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Sculpture
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Creator Nationality:
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African; West African; Nigerian; Yoruba
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Creator Role:
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artist
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Creator Name-CRT:
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Yoruba
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Title:
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Door
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View:
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Front
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Creation Date:
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early 20th century
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Creation Start Date:
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1900
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Creation End Date:
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1933
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Materials and Techniques:
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wood, metal fittings, nails
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Classification Term:
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architectural
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Dimensions:
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H.89-1/2 x W.43-1/2 x D.1-1/4 in., irregular
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Component Measured:
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overall(irregular)
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Measurement Unit:
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in
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AMICA Contributor:
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The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
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Owner Location:
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Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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ID Number:
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92.58
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Credit Line:
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The William Hood Dunwoody Fund
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Rights:
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Context:
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In the major towns of the eight Yoruba kingdoms in and around Nigeria, each ruler, or Oba, maintains a royal palace and an elaborate court life. Professional sculptors are commissioned to carve palace doors decorated with images and scenes relating to the life of the Oba and are frequently replaced when a new ruler takes his place. This door, from Kwara state in western Nigeria, shows four rows of male and female figures. Their crossed hands may indicate familial relationships, or may suggest their status as captives, thus emphasizing the power of the Oba. Crocodiles, because of their association to water, often represent wealth in Yoruba iconography, while coiled snakes suggest the quickness and power of the Oba and warn against irreverence toward the royal family. |
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Related Image Identifier Link:
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MIA_.1464c.tif
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