The Yoruba of central Nigeria have an extremely a high number of twin births (4.5%) compared to other populations, especially those of western Europe and the United States. There is no known reason for this extraordinary phenomenon. There are a few theories, including the hypothesis that the yam has something to do with it, but I don´t believe that this has much evidence to support it. In many African tribal societies, twins were seen as a signs of impending bad fortune and were killed after birth. The Yoruba people, on the other hand, believe that twins are the bearer of magic power and might, and need a special kind of attention from the family and the society of the village.

The art of the Senufo people is quite popular nowadays, and their sculpture and masks are found in many European and American collections.  There are about 3 million Senufo living in the north of the Ivory Coast and the southern area of Mali. As in every country that was in touch with Islam and Christianity, many aspects of the traditional "native" culture were destroyed, especially in the 1950's where a new syncretic movment, "Massa or Alkora", was in the area.  There has been much French ethnologic field researchin that region.  Those pioneers had their own methods of acquiring pieces (that's another story).

When Uli Beier arrived in Nigeria there was more than just a dying of the Nigerian culture.  Artists were faced with fewer commissions from the shrines and from private people for religious objects.  So, many of them began to produce for the colonial tourism or they worked for the churches.  A famous example of a great carver with a lot of satirical humour was Thomas Ona Odulate of Ijebu Ode (11), who worked from the turn of the century into the the late fifties.

This essay tries to show different kinds of artists and their historic places.  It focusses on the survival of the traditional pattern and renewal of Yoruba culture in the 1950's.   This began with an introduction into the religious dimension of the Yoruba world, and continues with the master carvers.  The first is Olowe of Ise, the most famous carver of the 20th century, an artist well known beyond the confines of Nigeria.   Next is Areogun/Arowogun of Osi Ilorin, a traditional artist who worked for the public and for kings.  As a link between traditional world and early tourist art, we look at works of Thomas Ona Odulate of Ijebu Ode.   In the 1950's, then, I give an overview of the artist that Father Kevin Caroll supported.   Finally, I focus my interest on contemporary traditional carvers like Buraimoh Gbandamosi and Kasali Akangbe.