Vintage Yoruba Cowrie Shell Head Shrine, Africa, Nigeria (1657BSK) $785
$785.00H:15 ” W: 9 ” D: 9 ” | SHIPPING INFORMATION REQUIRED contact us at 213-568-3030
This vintage handmade crown-like cowry shell-covered cylindrical “crown” called an ile ori and is a mixed-media cult of the head shrine to honor the head among the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Never meant to be worn, it is round, divided into sections and has four upward pointed curving triangular panels leaning inward and set in a sea of arranged cowries. The flat-topped symbolic crown is made with a wide rectangular cutout for viewing. As it is handmade, the size, placement and tones of the cowries may vary, but the design is very impressive. This headdress was included in the San Francisco International Airport, “Crowning Achievements” exhibition in April-August, 1994. The headdress is in good shape with a dark patina showing age and use, some leather bindings lifting, minor insect damage to the fabric, scrapes on the leather and some missing cowry shells. It comes with a Lucite stand.