IFE Arts part four

BY WILLIAM DEWEYPENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY (FORMERLY UNIVERSITY OF IOWA) Nigeria; Yoruba (Ife) artist Head of Lajuwa Clay H. 32.8 cm (12 15/16″) National Museum, Lagos, Nigeria, 20 (79.R.10) Photo by Dirk Bakker Terracotta sculptures are more numerous than works in metal and show a wide range of styles and subjects (Willett 2004). Certain of the heads, such as this example, were made to be freestanding (not attached … Continue reading IFE Arts part four

The Golden Stool of the Ashanti Empire

The Golden Stool (full title, Sika Dwa Kofi) has been the symbol of power in Ashanti Kingdom since the 17th century. According to oral tradition, Okomfo Anokye, a High Priest and one of the two founders of the Ashanti Confederacy, conjured the Golden Stool, decorated with golden bells, and caused it to descend from the sky where it landed at the feet of Osei Tutu I, the … Continue reading The Golden Stool of the Ashanti Empire