figura gemella (1) - Legno - Venavi - Ewe - Togo, Ghana

Ewe, twin figure "Venavi", Togo and Ghana
As the Yoruba in Nigeria do, their eastern neighbours, the Ewe in Togo and Ghana honour their twins. And similar to how the Yoruba create carved ibeji twin figures’ in memory of deceased twins, vicarious sculptures for dead twins are also produced amongst the Ewe. 'Venavi' are carved from light, light-coloured wood, generally from the wood of the kapok tree.
The proportions of the Ewe Venavi are more realistic in comparison to the Ibeji of the Yoruba. Nevertheless, the 'classical' Ewe style stipulates a very stereotyped pose for the Venavi': rigid, standing emphatically upright, and with both arms and hands always separated from the body, pointing directly downwards. german old collection, mid 20th century