12 Facts You Need to Know About Ife Art

In Nigeria, between the 11th and 15th century CE, the ancient African city “Ife” (Ile-Ife) flourished. Ife is located along the Guinea Coast of Southern West Africa and had trade connections with other West African Kingdoms. The people were Yoruba, and Ife art is a celebration of their culture. 

According to historical stories, Ife is the centre of the world. The first ruler of Ife, “Ooni of Ife” meaning King of Ife, was called Oduduwa or Odua and he was the eldest of God's descendants from heaven. He sent out his sixteen sons with beaded crowns to rule kingdoms of their own. 

One of the most important historical events in ancient Ife was the civil war between the supporters of Obatala and those of Oduduwa which erupted in the reign of Ife’s 46th king. The effects of this civil war left Ife vulnerable and has made it difficult to correctly align Ife’s history.

Ife art was brought to international attention in 1910 when Leo Frobenius, a German ethnographer, discovered bronze and terracotta heads at Ife. The discovery changed people’s perception of African Art, but Frobenius had a misconception about its origin. With great disbelief that they were made by an African, Frobenius maintained a theory that it was from the lost city of Atlantis, an ancient mythical Greek colony.

The discovery of a figure of the Oni of Ife in 1957 challenged the credibility of Frobenius theory. In Yoruba Philosophy, the head is seen as the shell that houses the essence of an individual. It is, therefore, usually depicted bigger than the rest of the body in sculptural representations. Therefore, it is certain that the art of Ife was done by persons who understand this philosophy. Ife art then must have been made by the Yorùbás for the Yorùbás.

In 1938, thirteen bronze heads of approximately life-size were found in the compound of Wunmonije (a previous Ooni of Ife) which was close to the back door of the palace. The Ooni of Ife, Sir Adesoji Aderemi was keen on keeping these emblems of their culture and preserve ancient Ife art.

Ife heads, though naturalistic, have some stylizations; the eyes are arched at the sides and have no brows, the lips are depicted slightly apart and the overall look of the face exudes peace and serenity. 

Most of the Ife heads depicts individuals who lived in the era of the Ife king Obalufon II. The king was a chief patron of the arts which is reinforced with his modern-day identity as patron of bronze casting, textiles, regalia, peace and wellbeing.

Most of the Ife heads were made using the lost- wax process from the 11 th to 15 th century CE. The use of this method requires great knowledge of the different mediums in use which include clay, bronze or brass and the various temperatures conducive for each medium at different points in casting.

Although copper is a difficult metal to work with, the Ife artists through their ingenuity, used it in producing their artworks. They also used terracotta, stone, quartz, copper and brass for sculpting.