Venavi twin figure – Wood, Beads – Ewe – Togo

A fine venavi twin figure made out of wood and wearing beaded jewelry around the neck and the waist. This miniature is used as a doll among the Ewe people. The Ewe people of Ghana celebrate the birth of twins as a good omen. Twins known as Venavi, lead a life of parallel experiences as they are fed, bathed, and similarly dressed.However if one of the twins dies a Venovi figure is purchased to represent the deceased twin and is equally maintained as though alive, being washed and fed.Like the well-known Ibeji of the Yoruba that represent the same idea of portraying the deceased twin in a sculptural form, Ewe dolls are shown as adults and represent deceased twins.They are delightful miniature carvings and have a place in any collection for their carving and presence and for what they represent.

Provenance: Manfred Schäfer, former gallery owner from Ulm, Germany.