M0014166: Ibeji (effigy) representing a dead twin, Yoruba people, Nigeria

Previous title, replaced January 2022: Yoruba Ibedji (effigies) representing dead twins

A carved wooden figure called a Ibeji. In Yoruba culture, twins are revered and thought to bring luck to households and tribes. The death of one is a great calamity and an Ibedji is made to house the spirit of the dead child and be a companion for the surviving twin. The item was acquired by the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum but is not held by Wellcome Collection.

August 1955

1 photograph glass plate negative; 10.2 x 12.7 cm

Copyright held by Wellcome Collection

Catalogue data comes from a combination of entries in the original glass plate registers, metadata created when the glass plates were digitised in the early 2000s and enhancements made by the cataloguer in 2022.

Please consult the digitised version as this item is fragile. Email library@wellcomecollection.org to request access to the physical item.