Yoruba Sculpture of a Wedding Procession

Carving of a Wedding Procession
Yoruba people, Nigeria
Wood, cowrie shell and beads; 6 3/4 x 14 1/2 x 14 1/2 in.
Bowers Museum Acquisition Fund Purchase
77.73.1 This unique wood carving of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, illustrates a wedding procession depicting five male and eight female figures aligned in five rows. Each figure has been carved separately in the round and attached to the base. A man and a woman appear as the central figures of the procession. He bears diamond shaped incisions on his cheeks, representing scarification patterns, and carries a large pipe in his mouth. The woman holds her long braided tresses in each hand. The remaining figures are wearing beads and/or cowrie shells. Serpents are carved along each side of the plate. In Yoruba mythology the sacred non-poisonous python in a symbol of life and eternity and, in some legends, instructs man and woman in the mystery of procreation. Cowrie shells have been used as fertility symbols for many centuries. The Yoruba wedding is an occasion for feasting and celebrating. The festivities begin at the bride's house after dark with a feast celebrated by family and friends. The bride is dressed in her finest clothes and is blessed by her parents and then accompanied to the groom's house by the group attending the feast. The procession moves through the streets, dancing and singing to the accompaniment of hired drummers. At the groom’s home her followers stay until daybreak, singing and making merry. This object will be on view at the Peabody Essex Museum through September, 2008 as part of the exhibition Wedded Bliss: The Marriage of Art and Ceremony. All images and text under copyright. Please contact Collection Department for permission to use. Information subject to change with further research.