Description
The Yoruba appreciate the color variations and sparkling surfaces of beads, as well as the way that they can be combined into dazzling patterns. Beads contain àse (animating force) and become further imbued with it when worn. Today titled Yoruba men wear beaded regalia as an expression of power, status, and divine sanction. This beaded cap features an interlaced motif with strong royal associations. [See also 2009.580].
Provenance
Oba Dele Adeshina, Odo-Ona Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, until 2009; sold to Garuba (Garaba) Konte, Albuquerque, N.M., 2009 [sales invoice from the palace of Odo-Ona of Ilorin dated April 7, 2009; import documentation dated March 10, 2019; customs permit dated March 15, 2009 in curatorial file]; sold to Douglas Dawson Gallery, Chicago, Ill., 2009; sold to the Art Institute, 2009.
Accession Number
199859
Medium
Glass beads, cloth, and string
Dimensions
16.6 × 17.2 × 17.2 cm (6 1/2 × 6 3/4 × 6 3/4 in.)
Classification
headdress - misc
Credit Line
Purchased with funds provided by Cynthia and Terry E. Perucca; African and Amerindian Art Purchase Fund
