Collections and items in our institution have incomplete, inaccurate, and/or missing attribution. We are using this notice to clearly identify this material so that it can be updated, or corrected by communities of origin. Our institution is committed to collaboration and partnerships to address this problem of incorrect or missing attribution.
Our institution is committed to the development of new modes of collaboration, engagement, and partnership with Indigenous peoples for the care and stewardship of past and future heritage collections.
The TK Notice is a visible notification that there are accompanying cultural rights and responsibilities that need further attention for any future sharing and use of this material. The TK Notice may indicate that TK Labels are in development and their implementation is being negotiated. For more information about the TK Notice, visit localcontexts.org.
Learn more about our Local Contexts research and to connect with Newfields' staff.
9-1/8 x 3-1/4 x 3-1/4 in.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Eiteljorg
(Moustapha Gueye, New York, New York); sold on 14 June 1977 to Harrison Eiteljorg [1903-1997] of Indianapolis, Indiana; given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in 1989.
The Yoruba have one of the highest rates of twin births in the world. Twins are believed to share the same soul and are generally considered to be a great blessing. They bring success to their family and cause harm to those who do not show proper respect. The mother will sometimes dance with them in public. Twins receive gifts and special meals, and enjoy much freedom during childhood.
Twins retain their power even after their death, and if one or both dies, the mother has a carver make a figure that serves to embody the spirit of the deceased twin. The mother treats it with the attention and respect any living twin deserves. She carries it with her, dances with it, feeds it, and adorns it with beads, cowrie shells and expensive cloth.
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
Additional information about Newfields’ reproduction guidelines can be found in the Licensing Resources.
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This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MA-251861-OMS-22].