An edan represents the primordial ancestral couple of the Yoruba; the archetype male and female who stand guard on the pinnacle of rods, linked by a chain, forever bound together. They form an essential part of life within the Osugbo society; a tangible expression of social organization and spiritual unity linking the present members with those of the distant past. The almond shaped eyes of this edan pair watch with keen interest the events around them, their mouths seem as if about to speak. Entwined on their heads are snakes and circular coils probably used as fertility symbols. For the Yoruba, and especially Osugbo members, the edan contains spiritual power or ase because it unites all the members within a single moral and ethical code, depicted in simple but profound imagery. This edan, which is a work of art, speaks to us in a mysterious voice that transcends cultural boundaries, distance and time.
- (PF.4892)
|
