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Bell, Metal

Ijebu head-shaped bell of the Yoruba

Nigeria
Yoruba

Bronze
ca. Late 19th / Early 20th Century

Height: 6 inches include the loop
Idiophone - Struck Directly - Bell

Ijebu bells are worn by the chief's son, hung over the right shoulder to his left hip. The protruding, slanted eyes, crescent shaped forehead scarifications and the use of copper alloy suggest an association with the Oshugbo society that is strong in Ijebu. Oshugbo is an organization that supports and enforces social order, their authority validated by the founding ancestors of the community.

 

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Catalog#: AF-IDST-44