6 - Ife-Ife, Nigeria

Ife-Ife, Nigeria (Periods/Cultures/Kingdoms)

Culture: Ife (1,100_CE - 1,500_CE)

Ife-Ife (location)

Nigeria

Ife-Ife (dates)

1,100_CE - 1,500_CE

Ife-Ife, Nigeria (1,100_CE - 1,500_CE) notes

• in the center of the modern-day Yoruba region

  • the Yoruba trace their ancestry back to the Ife

  • holds significant importance to the Yoruba people, as they believe this was the origin of all mankind (think Garden of Eden)

• significant to populations in Cuba, Brazil, and the US

  • the extension of Yoruba populations

• Ife = expansion

• artwork reached it’s peak around 1,200_CE - 1,400_CE, then decline led to a shift of power to Benin

• has had 50 leaders from the beginning to modern-day

• very organized roads/ layout

  • roads paved with the currency

    • center of culture and wealth

Artwork ID: “The Ife Head”

Culture: Ife-Ife

Location: Nigeria

Dates: 1,100_CE - 1,500_CE

Medium: brass

“The Ife Head” notes

• found alone on a shrine and nobody knew why it was there or what it was

• the archaeologist that found it didn’t believe that African people could’ve made it and came up with some bullshit elaborate theory about Atlantis to explain it

  • called Olokun (god of the sea)

  • could represent Orisha (gods) or Ooni (city chief)

  • shows African artists were able to be hyper-realistic if they wanted 

    • debunks the idea at time that African art was "primitive" b/c of stylization

  • we think the Ife developed their own method of casting

Artwork ID: “Sculpture of a Head”

Culture: Ife-Ife

Location: Nigeria

Dates: 1,100_CE - 1,500_CE

Medium: brass

“Sculpture of a Head” notes

• very complicated, sophisticated process

• very detailed & naturalistic

  • Could be some of the first accurate portraits

• very neutral expression

• some have scarification, some don’t

• holes along hairline and lower face could be to attach a hair or a headpiece

Artwork ID: “Ritual Vessel”

Culture: Ife-Ife

Location: Nigeria

Dates: 1,100_CE - 1,500_CE

Medium: terracotta

“Ritual Vessel” notes

• likely involved ritual breaking

• some vessels had terracotta heads attached to the top

• relief might show typical shrine/altar layout

  • in temple: naturalistic head flanked by 2 abstracted heads (keeps focus on naturalistic head)

  • around temple: tools, drum, knife, snake (snakes assoc. with spirit world)

Ooni/Oni

chief of the city; king of Ife-Ife

Obatala

main god of Ife religion

• grandfather first Ooni of Ife

• all of his kids are the orisha

Oduduwa

father of first Ooni

• orisha (son of Obatala)

ase

Yoruba/Ife philosophy defined to represent the power that makes things happen and produces change; spiritual energy

Oludumare

the lord of heaven and the creator (Ife)

Oranmiyan (Ife)

a legendary king of Ife-Ife believed to be the son of Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Ife people

Orisha

gods of Ife/Yoruba religion

• children of Obatala (head god)