House of the Head (Ile Ori)
Label Text"Ori mi ja fun mi. (Creator and head, fight for me.)" (King Sunny Ade, 1983)
Before coming to earth, each person visits Ajala, the maker of heads (ori) in heaven. Ajala can produce ori that are defective, causing a difficult destiny. To alleviate concerns about such fate, one can seek the support and advice of a personal ori-inu (inner head). An object to symbolize ori is placed in a house or shrine like this one and is consulted before any new undertakings. The owner honors his inner head regularly to cultivate a strong character and to leap from relying on shallow impressions.
Object number93.157
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Untold Story, November 14, 2003 - November 14, 2004Credit LineGift of Mark Groudine and Cynthia Putnam
Dimensions23 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 8 in. (59.69 x 24.13 x 20.32 cm)
MediumCloth, cowrie shells
Object number: 81.17.577
Object number: 2001.241
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