Among the Yoruba, beading is a man’s profession, often passed down between generations within established compounds. The artist makes all beaded objects on commission and often lives in the house of the patron while completing the work.
The beaded crown is a sign of the divine authority of the king, or oba, and only those who can trace their ancestry back to the god Oduduwa, founder and first king of the Yoruba people, may wear it. The crown is a mask that conceals the identity of the monarch and connects him to past rulers. Individual crowns are often given names, such as “the crown which makes the land stable.” These names contribute to the prestige and power of the crown and the king.
This crown has the traditional cone shape, topped by a three-dimensional bird representing the mystical, spiritual forces of important older women. By wearing birds on his crown, the king appeals to them not to use their powers against him. The faces on two sides of the crown often represent Oduduwa and Olokun (god of the sea), the royal ancestors. The beaded veil hanging from the crown covers the king’s face, separating him from this world and protecting those who look at him from his powerful gaze. It is taboo for ordinary people to gaze directly at the king. Distinctive features of this crown are the fringe of beads at the top and the use of the design of interlacing lines, which appears on many sacred forms of Yoruba art.
The crown is constructed on a conical foundation of cane and iron covered with layers of cotton cloth and, in the case of this piece, raffia cloth. The outside layers are fastened and stiffened with a cornstarch paste and sun dried. A strip of red cloth is sewn around the lower edge and protects the wearer’s head. The faces, rendered in high relief, were modeled from bundled cloth and sewn on either before or after beading. The background patterns are usually stenciled or drawn freehand, although some skilled artists execute the design without preliminary markings. The three-dimensional bird, crafted from bundled cloth, was beaded before being attached to the top of the structure. The making of a crown is slow, tedious, and important work.
The Yoruba crowning tradition began when the great god and first king, Oduduwa, gave each of his sixteen sons a crown and sent them out to establish kingdoms. Today, as in the past, the creation and consecration of a crown are carried out with elaborate rituals. At the palace, the bead artist works in secret while preparing the crown. He offers prayers and gifts to the god of iron, patron of those who use iron needles to sew. The work of beading the crown can then begin. Before the new crown can be worn, a priest places a packet of powerful medicines inside the top of the crown, which is consecrated during the installation ceremony of the new king. When the chiefs kneel before the crowned ruler, they greet the crown and the new king with the words, “Your Highness! The king’s power is next to that of the gods!”
