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"One of the Greatest Achievements in World Art"
“Before us stood a head of marvellous beauty, wonderfully cast in antique bronze, true to the life, incrusted with a patina of glorious dark green. This was, in very deed, the Olokun, Atlantic Africa’s Poseidon.” L. Frobenius.
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“Before us stood a head of marvellous beauty, wonderfully cast in antique bronze, true to the life, incrusted with a patina of glorious dark green. This was, in very deed, the Olokun, Atlantic Africa’s Poseidon.” L. Frobenius.
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What triggered those words of deep admiration? The Ori Olokun sculpture.
Found in 1910, near Olokun grove, Ile Ife, it was of such striking artistic excellence that Frobenius felt it couldn't have been made by Africans, as reported in the NYT of January 30, 2011👇.
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Found in 1910, near Olokun grove, Ile Ife, it was of such striking artistic excellence that Frobenius felt it couldn't have been made by Africans, as reported in the NYT of January 30, 2011👇.
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Of course, the claim that the sculpture was made by Greeks from the fabled Atlantis who had settled in Africa was wrong. The masterpiece was, exclusively, "a product of Yoruba hand and mind."
as Prof. Soyinka said in his Nobel Speech.
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as Prof. Soyinka said in his Nobel Speech.
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In 1938, similar heads of
copper-alloy were found at Wunmonije compound, Ile Ife, including the spectacular figure of a king, below👇.
A total of 18 Ife heads have been unearthed, all of them of great sophistication.
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copper-alloy were found at Wunmonije compound, Ile Ife, including the spectacular figure of a king, below👇.
A total of 18 Ife heads have been unearthed, all of them of great sophistication.
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Art scholars believe the Ori Olokun and similar heads were made in the 14th century. Their discovery flew in the face of the then prevalent Western Idea that Africans were inferior beings unable to produce anything sophisticated in art or technology.
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Neil Macgregor, art historian and former Director of the British Museum noted:
"The realisation that bronze of that quality was being made before Cellini and at the same time as Donatello: that caused a sensation, a transformation in Europe's understanding of Africa..."
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"The realisation that bronze of that quality was being made before Cellini and at the same time as Donatello: that caused a sensation, a transformation in Europe's understanding of Africa..."
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"...It undercut all the racist assumptions that had made the colonial venture possible. I think it's more important than ever that Europeans be reminded of the long material culture of Africa."
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"Leading art experts believe they are among the most aesthetically striking and technically sophisticated in the world."
"On any view they are a masterpiece, not just of observation but of sculpting and casting."
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"On any view they are a masterpiece, not just of observation but of sculpting and casting."
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The Ori Olokun sculpture gives evidence that the artists of ancient Ife were crème de la crème, makers of art works of astonishing realism and beauty. It shows that Africans had indigenous artistic & technical knowledge of the highest sophistication: world-class.
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Notes:
1. "The Voice of Africa: Being an Account of the Travels of the German Inner African Exploration Expedition in the Years 1910-1912"
—Frobenius, Leo; Hutchinson & Co, London, 1913.
You can download a safe copy here👇
library.si.edu/digital-librar…
library.si.edu/digital-librar…
1. "The Voice of Africa: Being an Account of the Travels of the German Inner African Exploration Expedition in the Years 1910-1912"
—Frobenius, Leo; Hutchinson & Co, London, 1913.
You can download a safe copy here👇
library.si.edu/digital-librar…
library.si.edu/digital-librar…
9. Arifa Akbar noted:
"It is now accepted by the curatorial community that the advanced artistic techniques used to create the sculpture were "more advanced than those of Renaissance Italy, and comparable to those of [the artist] Donatello".
independent.co.uk/arts-entertain…
"It is now accepted by the curatorial community that the advanced artistic techniques used to create the sculpture were "more advanced than those of Renaissance Italy, and comparable to those of [the artist] Donatello".
independent.co.uk/arts-entertain…
9. In 1940, a London newspaper wrote that the heads were "worthy to rank with finest works of Greece and Italy."
Michael Glover observed:
"These Africans [the artists of ancient Ife] knew all about bronze casting long before the Europeans arrived."
independent.co.uk/arts-entertain…
Michael Glover observed:
"These Africans [the artists of ancient Ife] knew all about bronze casting long before the Europeans arrived."
independent.co.uk/arts-entertain…
For a detailed description of the head, please see 👇
britishmuseum.org/research/colle…
For a fascinating story surrounding the Ori Olokun, please read "You Must Set Forth At Dawn" by Prof. Soyinka.
britishmuseum.org/research/colle…
For a fascinating story surrounding the Ori Olokun, please read "You Must Set Forth At Dawn" by Prof. Soyinka.
We have also added references for the key points and quotes, for anyone interested in the details.
