DOC Blues for Wood - C Lead Sheet - BC by Nikki Iles; Woody Shaw in Arts-Photography

Review

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Preserving the Yoruba IdentityBy Barbara SteinbergBlier connects us with the Yoruba way of thinking about the living and the dead; art; war; and God. She preserves their genuine; detailed identity against the more prolific histories of colonialism and the trans-Atlantic slave trade.Using the holes near the roots of trees; the dead would travel in and out of Ileacute;-If; a modern Nigerian city that was once the center of a Yoruba Empire from 1200 to 1400 AD. A world through Yoruba-educated eyes was dynamic; linking symbolic objects; life; and the birthplace of Gods.What Blier sees in the art is the risk the artist took to make it: uncertainty; speaking truth to power; survival from an ancient civil war; burying the objects of yearly rituals; trying to reach perfection; and most of all; owning the narrative to their own history and identity.The Yoruba had a king; Obalufon II; who invented copper casting. A 13th Century mask is said to represent his likeness. At the site Wunmonij; many more heads were found in various modes of decoration. They were perfect and elegant; with almond eyes; imposing headdresses; and could have been made by the same artist.The Yoruba say; ldquo;It is death that turns an individual into a beautiful sculpture. A living person has blemishes.rdquo;0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Anne KenisA new reference for Ife lovers and specialists.Anne-Catherine Kenis; Art Restorer; Belgium.