Collecting African Tribal Art : The Yoruba bead embroidered Crown

I picked up a Yoruba Crown recently and let me just say that with space and money at a premium it was not the easiest of buys. On the plus side I was totally and utterly shocked at the size and the more than pleasant burst of colors that present.

Yoruba Crown

The piece requires a lot of work, talent and time. It’s never good when labor intensive items can be had for relatively cheap prices but I remain more than happy with the purchase.

Here are two great articles on beading and its relation to Yoruba culture.

Beads, Body, and Soul Art and Light in the Yoruba Universe Drewal, Henry J., Mason, John

Excerpt:

“Coloring and covering the body in beads is healing and empowering. Colorful beads are ‘medicines’ that act upon worldly and other worldly forces (Keyes 1994). Thus, for example, to wear pupa (hot/red) and funfun (cool/white) kale (neck beads) is to proclaim both the retributive and the healing, enabling presence of the thundergod, Sango.”

The Sign of the Divine King An essay on Yoruba Bead-Embroidered Crowns with Veil and Bird Decorations Thompson, Robert F.

Excerpt :

“The gods of the Yoruba long ago chose beaded strands as emblems. The fact that the crowns are embellished with bead embroidery immediately suggests godhead. Indeed the prerogative of beaded objects is restricted to those who represent the gods, kings and priests; and those whom the gods communicate, kings, priests, diviners, and native doctors.”