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Altar figure (onílé)
possibly 1700s
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
This figure of a horse and rider is related to the Ògbóni society, whose responsibilities include the burial of titleholders and leaders and the judgment and punishment of criminals. A counterweight to the authority of the king, it is also responsible for the selection, installation, and removal of rulers. Probably once forming a pair with a female figure, the equestrian symbolized the king’s male ancestors.
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Details
- Title: Altar figure (onílé)
- Date Created: possibly 1700s
- Physical Dimensions: with base: 34.3 x 10.8 x 25.4 cm (13 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 10 in.); without base: 31.3 x 10.8 x 25.4 cm (12 5/16 x 4 1/4 x 10 in.)
- Provenance: (Lucien van de Velde, Antwerp, Belgium, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Type: Sculpture
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2007.160
- Medium: Copper alloy
- Department: African Art
- Culture: Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker
- Credit Line: Alma Kroeger Fund
- Collection: African Art
- Accession Number: 2007.160
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