Eshu Yoruba rider, Nigeria Early 20th century Wood,... Lot 31

Eshu Yoruba rider, Nigeria Early 20th century Wood, mounted cowrie shells, crusty patina H. 28 cm Provenance : Former Danish collection Collected in the 1960s in situ Within Yoruba culture, the equestrian figure belonged to a varied iconographic register deployed in a variety of media. On the palace veranda posts sculpted by Olowe and Agbonbiofe in the southern Ekiti towns of Ikerre and Efon Alaye, the horseman and woman with child are subjects as ubiquitous as they are important. Frequently used on large Epa masks carved by Areogun and Bamgboye in northern Ekiti towns, the image of horse and rider embodied the memory of famous hunters, chiefs and warriors, now monarchs. An essential theme in Yoruba art, the equestrian figure is often found among the sculptures in shrines to honor, commemorate and embody various Orishas: the orisha Erinle, the hunter/warrior who founded and defended the town of Ilobu in the Ilesha region; the orisha Ogun, god of iron and war, from the Timi of Ede; and the orisha Shango, "who rides fire (lightning) like a horse." According to Peter Morton-Williams, the sculptor was familiar with the standard Yoruba cavalry equipment (harness, reins, saddles, stirrups) and costume, with particularly rich detailing on this example of an important ornament consisting of cowries mounted and assembled on various rows of braided fibers covering his entire body. The richness of the adornment reflects the importance of the figure. The strict, determined stance is combined with a stature whose movement is skilfully suggested by the sophisticated hairstyle in a beautiful arc that plunges to the middle of the back. Following an interview with Yoruba historian Samuel Johnson, Morton Williams states, as attested by the present copy, that the rider's shaven forehead and long, carefully woven pigtail "suggest that in the court of Alafin, he enjoyed the rank of esho, eshu noble of the highest military class, who was also known as 'Kakanfo'". In addition to the attention paid to the rider's head and headdress, the sculptor pays particular attention to the details adorning the composition as a whole. Every aspect of this creation reflects the richness of Yoruba artistic vision, from the meticulous depiction of a powerful face to the sculpture's thick brown patina. The richness of the details and the complexity of the structure attest to a unique skill as much as to the importance of the figure involved.