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Veranda Post (Òpó Ògògá)
The Art Institute of Chicago

Veranda Post (Òpó Ògògá)

Wood and pigmentOlowe of Ise (died 1938) Yòrùbá: Èkìtì; Ikere, Nigeria Coastal West Africa/1910-14

Description

One of four posts sculpted for the palace of the king (ogoga) of Ikere, this evocative image of the Yoruba concept of a divine ruler is a masterwork of Olowe of Ise. The renowned artist’s dynamic style can be distinguished by the interrelationships between figures, their exaggerated proportions, and the use of open space. The sculptor’s diminutive portrayal of the king suggests his dependence on others, and his crown has been emphasized to evoke the spiritual power residing within it. The towering image of the king’s senior wife standing behind him underscores her superior status as a guardian of her husband’s interests, endowed with keen political understanding and supernatural knowledge. She would have placed the crown on the king’s head during his enthronement ceremony. The smaller figures at the king’s feet represent one of his junior wives and the flute-playing trickster god Eshu.

Provenance

Commissioned by Onijagbo Obasoro Alowolodu, Ogoga (King) of Ikere (r. 1890-1928), Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, c. 1910-1914 [artist Olowe of Ise in residence in Ikere from 1910 to 1914 according to Drewal and Pemberton, and Abiodun, 1989, p. 205, note 237]; by descent to subsequent rulers, Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria and later Federal Republic of Nigeria, until at least 1964 [in situ photographs of the Palace of Ikere from 1937 by Eva Meyerowitz, 1958/59 by William Fagg, and 1964 by J. Picton, copies in curatorial file; Walker 1998, pp. 22-23]. until 1964; Marvin Chasin, London [email communication Nov. 16, 2020, copy in curatorial object file]; Gaston T. de Havenon (died 1993), New York, N.Y., about 1970-84 [Walker 1998, p. 66]; [on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, May 5, 1981–July 1984 recorded in justification and personal communication Nov. 14, 2011, documented in curatorial file]; sold to the Art Institute, 1984.

Dimensions

152.5 × 31.8 × 40.6 cm (60 × 12 1/2 × 16 in.)

Movement / Period

yoruba

Accession No

102611

Official Citations

[The Art Institute of Chicago Official Record][Full Resolution Image]
Curatorial Affinity Stream

Continuing the Universe of Olowe of Ise (died 1938) Yòrùbá: Èkìtì; Ikere, Nigeria Coastal West Africa

yoruba • Ikere • Harmonious Works & Contemporaries