Figural post
Object Label
Figurative posts often support the verandas of distinguished places such as important shrines or the dwellings of kings, titled elders, and priests. Just as a post supports the house, the carved figures represent the individuals who support and uphold the leader in his office.
Caption
Yorùbá artist. Figural post, late 19th or early 20th century. Wood, pigment, 64 x 9 1/4 x 6 in. (162.6 x 23.5 x 15.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Allen A. Davis, 82.154.1.
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Figural post
Date
late 19th or early 20th century
Geography
Place made: possibly Èkìtì State, Nigeria
Medium
Wood, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
64 x 9 1/4 x 6 in. (162.6 x 23.5 x 15.2 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Allen A. Davis
Accession Number
82.154.1
Frequent Art Questions
Where did these come from?
These houseposts are a pair and were cared by a Yoruba artist. You may have read this on the label but if not, it is important to know that these figures represent the individuals who support and uphold the leader in his office.Did they symbolize wealth? Or were they common household pieces?They were common among the wealthy. They often supported the verandas of distinguished places such as important shrines or the dwellings of kings, titled elders, and priests so they would not be commonplace for all Yoruba people.If at any point today you head up to the 5th floor, there are houseposts on view from the Kwakwaka’wakw people of North America that differ greatly from those Yoruba posts.
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