Ilédì Oǹtótóo: During Restoration

Ilédì Oǹtótóo, also known as the Ogboni Shrine or the Second Palace, is a very important shrine and a spectacular work of art. It was created from 1968 to 1975 but the elements later affected it. 23 artists led by Sangodare Ajala and Adebisi Akanji, Susanne Wenger’s artistic collaborator on all her major monuments, carried out the restoration. This remarkable structure is composed of three enormous roofs which rise against the sky like giant lizards, representing the forces of the earth before mankind. It is one of the most complex and sensitive architectural creations.
Beneath the sloping roof of the left wing of the Ògbói Shrine is a sculpture of the unique greeting gesture of the society’s members. Arms are extended placing the left (feminine) fist on top of the right (masculine) fist. In Yorùbá culture the left-hand side stands for the feminine, and the right-hand side for the masculine aspects of life. The Ògbóni salute each other and the earth by bringing their clenched fists together three times, with the thumb concealed in the palm of the hand.
Next to it on the left is the alluring sculpture of a waterlily.