Images(2)

Beaded Crown (adé)

Artist Yorùbá artist

Date20th century

MediumGlass beads, cloth, and thread basketry

DimensionsH. 18 1/2 x Diam. 9 in. (47 x 22.9 cm)

ClassificationsSculpture

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hanes

Object numberG.77.2.10

On View

Not on view

Label TextFor important ceremonial occasions, the oba (ruler) wears large conical beaded crowns with many design elements. Faces on either side of the crown may refer to Olokun, god of the sea and “owner of the beads”; royal ancestors; or the inner, spiritual face of the oba himself. The faces also serve as a reminder that the oba sees and hears all, even what takes place behind his back. Zigzag motifs evoke the circulation of spiritual energy and perhaps the lightning bolts of Shango, god of thunder and lightning.

Even if generally well preserved, objects may suffer some losses over time. Conical crowns usually have a veil of beads that hangs over the oba’s face, separating him from earthly concerns. Crowns may also lack these features intentionally, as rulers wore simpler or more elaborate headwear, depending on the occasion. For example, on minor ceremonial occasions, the oba may wear smaller beaded coronets or caps. These take on a dazzling
variety of shapes and styles, often inspired by British or Islamic headwear.Published ReferencesNorth Carolina Museum of Art Preview (Winter 1986-87), illus. (b-w) 5.

Living in Our World: Africa, Asia, and Pacific Realm (textbook) (Raleigh: North Carolina State University, 1998), illus. (color) 70.

Rebecca Martin Nagy, entry for Beaded Crown, in North Carolina Museum of Art Handbook of the Collections, Rebecca Martin Nagy, ed. (Raleigh: North Carolina Museum of Art, 1999), 57, illus. (color).

Rebecca Martin Nagy, entry for Beaded Crown (Adé), in North Carolina Museum of Art: Handbook of the Collections, rev. ed. (Raleigh: North Carolina Museum of Art, 2010), 118, illus. (color) 119.
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, “Recent Acquisitions,” December 14, 1978-January 28, 1979.

Raleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, Mary Duke Biddle Gallery, “Yoruba Art: A Living Tradition,” October 23, 1993-June 12, 1994.

Raleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, “Reflections on Light: Works from the NCMA Collection,” September 9, 2020–August 15, 2021. Object Rights Statement

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