Kneeling Female Figure Attributing a specific piece of ritual
African art to a particular artist is seldom possible, in part
because the artists often perpetuated the myth that the objects
were not the work of human beings, and also because the original
collectors of these pieces rarely inquired about the artists'
names. This piece, however, has been attributed to Areogun of
Osi, one of the most prominent Yoruba artists of the twentieth
century. His distinctive style is identifiable in the figure's
elaborate openwork headdress, proportionally large ears, and
curved breasts. Kneeling female figures, often nude, are common
in Yoruba religious art. In this pose, the figure represents a
supplicant before the orisha, or deity, on whose altar it is
placed. The image beautifies the altar and thereby honors
orisha. - Culture: Yoruba - Artist: Areogun of Osi, ca.
1880-1954 - Medium: Wood - Place Made: Osi-Ilorin, Ekiti Region,
Nigeria - Dates: late 19th or early 20th century - Dimensions: 8
1/2 x 2 x 2 1/2 in. (21.6 x