Yoruba Armlet

Wandering the Tishman exhibit at the Museum of African Art, I was intrigued by an ivory armlet crafted by the Yoruba peoples of the Owo region of Nigeria in the 16th century. The armlet was carved from a singe piece of ivory, which must have required amazing technical abilities. Depicted on one section of the armband were disembodied head within interlocking circles of crocodiles biting the heads and tails of mudfish. The other section showed kneeling hunchbacks holding tethered monkeys. I could not quite fathom the significance of these images. The description revealed that the motifs of tethered monkeys and disembodied heads suggested a theme of ritual offerings. The white color of the armband is the symbolic color of Obatala, who is, among other things, the patron deity of hunchbacks. This revelation intrigued me further. I can't think of another culture with a similar parallel of a specific god or saint for hunchbacks.

After further research, I learned that Obatala was responsible for much more than just hunchbacks. He was a very important god, commissioned by the supreme god to go down to the earth and create land from the primordial waters which previously covered it. He was then instructed to create humans to inhabit the earth. As the story goes, he did as he was told, and created human beings. One day, however, he got drunk on palm wine and created disfigured and handicapped people. Thus, he became the patron deity of not just hunchbacks, but all disabled people. I imagine that this belief protected disabled people to some extent. In some cultures, hunchbacks and other disfigured babies would be left to die, but since the Yoruba considered them touched by Obatala, they had their own place in society and were not necessarily outcast at birth. I also learned that the armband was made of white ivory because Obatala was said to have always been wearing a white robe. His followers attempt to attain moral purity as unblemished as Obatala's robe. Perhaps this armband was made for one of Obatala's followers, or maybe even an important priest of Obatala.

The Yoruba peoples were skilled at carving ivory, as elephants were abundant in their area. It was during the 16th century, when this piece was made, that trade with the north, through Nupe and Hausa and north across the Sahara, became well established. The Yoruba likely traded carved ivory pieces like this one for horses and horse equipment from the Hausa at this time. They also traded for slaves from northern Africa, who brought with them new techniques for leather work and weaving. This trade in skilled artisans greatly impacted the art of the captors.

The sacrificial motif in the armband reflects a major part of Yoruba culture and religious life. Animal sacrifices are still made for rituals, which generally have to do with breaking the power of witches over someone's spirit or asking for the favor of the gods. The tethered monkeys in the armband are probably going to be sacrificed to Obatala, and the disembodies human heads may represent ritual human sacrifice, which has been outlawed in modern times, but was still practiced at the time when the armband was made.

I am personally happy we were required to research more into the culture surrounding the art we saw in the museum. I was intrigued by the ivory armband, but mystified by its symbols until I read more about the Yoruba culture. Art becomes richer when it is placed in context.