House Post (Mother of Triplets)

Born in 1928 in Ila-Orangun, Lamidi Fakeye was from a lineage of wood carvers famously known as the "Fakeye Woodcarving Dynasty". He started carving under the tutelage of his father at the age of ten and, in 1949, began his apprenticeship with the master sculptor George Bamidele Arowogun at the Oye-Ekiti Workshop. In 1955, he worked as an art Instructor at Holy Cross Primary School, Lagos. Known for his expert skill in handling wood, he commonly depicts Yoruba myths and tradition in his works.

In this piece, the artist depicts mythic figures on a house post. Starting from the bottom, a mother and child appear to be riding a horse. The mother carries a stool on her head which has details of two faces and some patterned lines. On this stool sits another mother with two children on her lap and they both hold a hand fan. This mother in turn carries a calabash on her head and its cover has the head of a child on its lid.