Yoruba Twin Carvings

The Yoruba who live in Nigeria and Benin carve sculptures upon the death of a twin. This region has one of the highest birth rate of twins in the world and they are thought to be a blessing to the family and to have special powers. This mainly describes male twins, who most the carvings are of. The carvings express an ideal and so they are of youths no matter the age of the twin at death. The heads are large and elongated, due to Yoruba belief that character and spirituality are centred in the head. The sexual characteristics are also emphasised. These carvings called Ibeji were passed down and cared for through generations, and through heavy handling gain their polished and smooth appearence.