Wooden Post from a Royal Palace by Areogun

Yoruba, Nigeria
Early 20th c.

Provenance: Unter Family collection, NY

Yoruba kings were at the center of political, religious, and cultural life in their communities. Their walled palaces, always situated in the heart of town, housed living quarters, religious shrines, and multiple courtyards that served as assembly halls, law courts, and sports grounds. Verandas surrounded the courtyards, and the wooden posts that supported their low-hanging roofs provided opportunities for artistic embellishment. The carvings on these posts depicted individuals who, in a figurative sense, supported the palace and its king—notably warriors on horseback. Royal palaces were ambitious in scale and scope, and carvers received major commissions for such projects. These carvers often learned in family ateliers, with distinct styles developed over generations. The most distinguished individual carvers achieved great fame, such as the sculptor of this post, Areogun. Areogun hailed from the village of Osi in the Ekiti region of northeastern Nigeria. Together with his contemporary, Olowe of Ise, Areogun is considered one of the great Yoruba artists, and his talent earned him commissions across the northern Ekiti region. The present post figure shows evidence of extensive exposure to the outdoor environment, exhibiting a lightly weathered grayish patina. The rear portion of the horse has been lost to erosion, as well as the lower body sections of the smaller attendant figures. Remains of white, brown, red, and blue pigment are still evident throughout the sculpture.