Pair of Edan Osogbo
Culture: Yoruba
Location: Nigeria
Date: 19th Century
Medium: Bronze
(Photograph From ARTstor)
The Pair of Edan Osogbo is created from casted bronze by the Yoruba Peoples. The male and female figures are the symbols of the society of the elders whose moral and political authority equals that of kings and chiefs. 2 Paired Osogbo, especially those joined by a chain, evoke the importance of the bond between male and females. In many African societies authority is held by the elders of the group, and as a person becomes older he or she can exercise greater influence over the life of the community 5 Elders cease to have the day-to-day concerns for the health and well-being of their children, who are now grown with children of their own. They are more concerned with the health and well-being of the community. In like most communities, the elders are respected because they have accumulated knowledge and are now able to exercise the power that is associated with knowledge of the natural and supernatural worlds. They are also respected because they soon will be ancestors that will have powerful control over the lives they leave behind.
2 Henry Drewal, Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought. (New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc., 1989) 39.
5 Christopher Roy, “Art and Life in Africa.” Key Moments in Life (1999): Elderhood 1.
Location: Nigeria
Date: 19th Century
Medium: Bronze
(Photograph From ARTstor)
The Pair of Edan Osogbo is created from casted bronze by the Yoruba Peoples. The male and female figures are the symbols of the society of the elders whose moral and political authority equals that of kings and chiefs. 2 Paired Osogbo, especially those joined by a chain, evoke the importance of the bond between male and females. In many African societies authority is held by the elders of the group, and as a person becomes older he or she can exercise greater influence over the life of the community 5 Elders cease to have the day-to-day concerns for the health and well-being of their children, who are now grown with children of their own. They are more concerned with the health and well-being of the community. In like most communities, the elders are respected because they have accumulated knowledge and are now able to exercise the power that is associated with knowledge of the natural and supernatural worlds. They are also respected because they soon will be ancestors that will have powerful control over the lives they leave behind.
2 Henry Drewal, Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought. (New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc., 1989) 39.
5 Christopher Roy, “Art and Life in Africa.” Key Moments in Life (1999): Elderhood 1.