The Yoruba in Nigeria believe that the entire individuality, spirituality and fate of a person resides in its head. The head therefore has a very special significance. This Yoruba ceremonial crown consists of hundreds of cowrie shells, which have been sewn onto a thick oval calabash base bound with leather on the outer edges. Cowrie shells, traded as a currency throughout Africa for centuries, are symbolic of wealth and prosperity.
Ex Private Collection, Nigeria
Diameter: 21cm
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