Beautiful Old Yoruba Ogboni Pair in Bronze – Nigeria

Early 20th century. Dimensions and Weight:

Female figure: 35.0 cm high (13.78 in); weight 728 g (25.68 oz)

Male figure: 31.5 cm high (12.40 in); weight 620 g (21.87 oz)

Total weight including olive-wood stand: 1,682 g (59.33 oz)

A beautiful and well-preserved pair of Yoruba Ogboni bronze figures from Nigeria, representing the male and female principles traditionally associated with the Ogboni society, one of the most important institutions of Yoruba religious, political, and judicial life.

Cast in bronze and mounted on a custom olive-wood stand, the figures display the refined stylization characteristic of Ogboni art: elongated bodies, prominent facial features, ritual scarifications, and distinctive headdresses. The seated posture and formal attitude emphasize authority, wisdom, balance, and the complementary relationship between masculine and feminine forces.

Among the Yoruba, paired male and female figures symbolize harmony, social order, and the sacred connection with the Earth (Onile), a central concept within Ogboni cosmology.

The bronzes exhibit an attractive aged patina and wear consistent with age and use.

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