House of the Head (Ile Ori)
"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.
Cloth, cowrie shells
23 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 8 in. (59.69 x 24.13 x 20.32 cm)
Gift of Mark Groudine and Cynthia Putnam
93.157
