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

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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.

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

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