Veranda post of enthroned king and senior wife (Opo Ogoga)
Olowe of Ise (Yoruba peoples). c. 1910-1914 C.E. Wood and pigment
It is considered among the artist's masterpieces for the way it embodies his unique style, including the interrelationship of figures, their exaggerated proportions, and the open space between them
| Olowe of Ise (died 1938). Yoruba. Ikere, Ekiti region, Nigeria. From the palace of the ogoga (king) of Ikere. Veranda Post of Enthroned King and Senior Wife (Opo Ogoga), Wood and pigment, 152.5 x 31.75 x 40.6 cm (60 x 12 1/2 x 16 in.) |
| Form - One of four carved wooden posts, painted with unknown pigment |
| Function - Veranda post, architectural, structural support for palace at Ikere |
| Content - Depicts king seated (focal figure) - Senior wife behind, crowning him, large scale and pose underscore her importance: participating in coronation and political advisor to king - Small figures at feet of king represent a junior wife, trickster god Esu playing the flute, and and at one point a fan bearer, now missing - Emblematic of Olowe of Ise's style; exaggerated proportions, interrelationship between figures, and open space between them - Technical composition conveys close relationship between King and Queen
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| Context - Influential style in Yoruba culture for centuries - Olowe considered by many the best Yoruba carver ever, died in 1938 - Most important of the four veranda posts commissioned, focal point of entry |
| Links http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/102611 |
