Pair of Staffs (Edan) before 19

Editor: These are a Pair of Staffs, Edan, created by the Yoruba people, sometime before 19-hundred. Carved, likely from wood or ivory. I'm struck by how tactile they look, almost begging to be held and examined. What stands out to you about them? Curator: The materiality is key here. Consider the labour involved in carving these Edan, probably from a dense hardwood. The very act of transforming raw material into these highly symbolic forms speaks to the Yoruba worldview. We must also consider how these pieces functioned within their original social context. Editor: Social context? I was focused on the aesthetic quality of the carvings themselves. Curator: Well, the "aesthetic quality" as you put it, is deeply entwined with social function and access to resources. Who commissioned them? Who had the skill and the time to create them? Where did the materials originate? These details affect our understanding of their inherent meaning. How might the process of obtaining ivory shape the final outcome, versus the availability of local hardwood, for example? Editor: So you're suggesting the availability of resources directly impacts artistic expression? Curator: Absolutely! Furthermore, consider the implications of trade and colonial influence in sourcing those materials. These objects are not isolated creations; they're products of a complex web of interactions and exchanges, impacting the use of materials to handcraft the details and structure of each of them. The choice of material alone might elevate these items as a reflection of power and resources. Editor: That definitely gives me a different perspective, looking at the Edan as products of labor and exchange, not just objects of art. Curator: Precisely. Understanding the means of production, the access to and choices of materials shifts how we see these works, appreciating both skill and the broader social narrative they embody.