Royal Yoruba African Carved Door

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Description

From southwestern Nigeria, this two-plank Yoruba door pairs a geometric panel with a narrative figural panel, the paired composition characteristic … Read more From southwestern Nigeria, this two-plank Yoruba door pairs a geometric panel with a narrative figural panel, the paired composition characteristic of Yoruba palace and compound doors, known as ilekun. The geometric plank carries interlace (ebin) patterning alongside diamond and chevron fields, motifs drawn from royal textile and beaded crown design. The narrative plank is divided into horizontal registers by carved rope-twist borders, each depicting a scene from Yoruba daily and ceremonial life: a figure with a sacrificial or hunting animal, a woman holding a child or offering, and musicians at the base, playing what appears to be a talking drum (gangan) or calabash vessel.
Slicing narrative content into registers separated by rope or geometric bands is a signature convention of this door type. The panel shows genuine age, a full-height split along the plank seam, several worn or drilled holes, and three horizontal wood battens reinforcing the panel, likely added during the door's working life to stabilize the split. Patina is deep and uneven throughout. Mounted on a custom black stand, the door reads as narrative sculpture. Give it a prominent wall where each register can be studied up close.

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