Tunic
Yoruba
1900–1975
- Medium
- Glass beads, cloth, and string
- Dimensions
- Full with and length with all beads extended while in box: 94.7 × 125.8 × 9.6 cm (37 1/4 × 49 1/2 × 3 3/4 in.)
- Genre
- tunic
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
figures (representations)yorubastring (fiber product)regaliadivinebeading (process)powergeometricroyaltystatusafrican Artarts of AfricaCoastal West AfricaclothtunicKingsglass beadsbeadwork
About
The Yoruba appreciate the color variations and sparkling surfaces of beads, as well as the way that they can be combined into dazzling patterns. Beads contain àse (animating force) and become further imbued with it when worn. Today titled Yoruba men wear beaded regalia as an expression of power, status, and divine sanction. This tunic’s imagery refers to power and domination. Two male figures flank the front opening, while on the back a coiled snake sits beneath another male figure, possibly holding a shield. Around these motifs and on the sides and arms are geometric patterns. [See also 2009.581].
