Ogboni Chief's Textile

An elder of the Ogboni council—a sociopolitical society of the Iwo Yoruba in Nigeria—would have worn this elaborately embroidered textile during important ceremonies and moments of significant transition, like the coronation or burial of a king. The Yoruba believe in the sacred unity of three cosmic spheres, expressed in the three bands of designs that decorate the garment. The birds symbolize the ability to hover above and move between spiritual and earthly realms. In this composition they also represent Ìyàmi, women who wield spiritual powers of elemental creation, destruction, and healing.