Female Figure with Rooster (Olumeye)

Description

The rooster-shaped container proffered by this kneeling female figure was made to hold kola nuts, which are shared with guests as a gesture of hospitality. The sculpture’s surface is rubbed with washing blue, a laundry aid used to prevent white clothes from yellowing. The color blue carries special significance for the Yoruba. Expressing coolness, it is associated with water and water deities as well as admired qualities such as purity, discretion, and composure.

Provenance

Galerie Monbrison, Paris, by 1977 [confirmation by Alain de Monbrison; statement by William Fagg dated Sept. 26, 1977 in curatorial file]. Pace Primitive and Ancient Art, New York, N.Y., by 1977 [invoice no. 1351 in curatorial file dated Nov. 30, 1977]; sold to the Art Institute, 1977.

Female Figure with Rooster (Olumeye)

Agbonbiofe

Late 19th or early 20th century

Accession Number

94133

Medium

Wood, pigment, glass beads, and thread

Dimensions

43.2 × 31.2 × 24.2 cm (17 × 12 1/4 × 9 1/2 in.)

Classification

sculpture

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Ada Turnbull Hertle Fund