Yoruba Art and Culture

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?Any work of art owes its existence to the people and culture from which it has emerged. It has a functional and historical relationship with that culture.? Michael W. Conner, PhD#

Staffs are carried and danced with by priestesses and priest in the Sango cult,

dedicated to Sango, the Yoruba deity of thunder and lighting. The female figure represents a worshiper of Shango.

The majority of the Yoruba people live on the west coast of Africa in Nigeria, but can also be found in many other places, as they are one of the largest cultural classifications in Africa. There are approximately 40 million Yoruba world-wide. As a matter of fact, most of the slaves brought to America were Yoruban, and descendants of their tribes can be found everywhere, including Europe, Brazil, Cuba, and the Caribbean. The Yoruba have been constructing and thriving in sophisticated urban kingdoms for more than 1,500 years, and have produced extraordinary art work since the 5th century BC.

A strong financial system was formed through agriculture, trading, and the production of art. They share except...

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