Adéńlá (big crown)

Late 19th–early 20th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 343
Only those descended from Odùduwà, founding ruler of the earliest center of civilization, Ilé-Ifè, are authorized to wear the adéńlá. It is through his crown, the preeminent emblem of divine kingship, that an ọba (king) becomes one with those who reigned before. The dramatic veil that extends from the front, at once conceals his face while protecting others from his penetrating gaze. The visages on four sides, accented here in deep blue, signify the watchful presence of Oduduwa’s royal bloodline. At the crown’s summit, birds underscore the importance of women in supporting and confirming authority. The almost exclusive use of white beads suggests purity and the quality of coolness attributed to several òrìṣàs, including Ọbàtálá, the divine sculptor, and Olókun, deity of the sea and patron of bead artists.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Adéńlá (big crown)
  • Artist: Yoruba bead artist
  • Date: Late 19th–early 20th century
  • Geography: Southwest Nigeria
  • Culture: Yoruba peoples
  • Medium: Glass beads, thread, cloth, mixed media offerings
  • Dimensions: H. 54 1/4 in. x W. 9 3/4 in. x W. 9 3/4 in.
  • Classification: Textiles-Beadwork
  • Credit Line: Gift of Carol B. Kenney, in memory of Jerome P. Kenney, 2025
  • Object Number: 2025.97.1
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

Audio

Cover Image for 1551. Adéńlá (big crown), Yoruba bead artist

1551. Adéńlá (big crown), Yoruba bead artist

Jacob Kehinde Olupona

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JACOB KEHINDE OLUPONA: These material objects, they are not really objects. They’re sacred entities that have life. They have power, just like the king.

ANGELIQUE KIDJO (NARRATOR): This crown is a testament to the brilliance of artists specializing in sacred beadwork in both southwestern Nigeria and the Republic of Benin. But it also points to the power of a work of art to transform and transcend the material world and the people in it.

Jacob Kehinde Olupona, professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard.

JACOB KEHINDE OLUPONA: The veils cover the face of the king when the crown is worn. Through this concealment, those who are looking at the king will be aware that they are before a god. And the king, who is also looking at the people through this crown, is looking at not just his subject, he’s also aware that they are powerful people. They’re diviners, they’re medicine men and medicine women, they are people who make it possible for him to stay on the throne.

The birds that often appear on top of the crown—they symbolize the power of our mothers. The power of the feminine. It is also through their benevolence that the king is able to govern his people in justice and fairness.

So the king’s aware that he’s enjoined to temper that power and authority so that he doesn’t misuse it. Because if he misuses it, then there may be repercussions. So that’s the beauty of this tradition. Power is sacred. Power must also be tamed and curtailed.

###

Music:
“Agolo”
Performed by Angelique Kidjo
Courtesy of Island Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises

“Agolo”
By Jean Louis Pierre Hebrail and Carmen Angelique Kidjo
Warner Chappell Music France SA (SACEM)
All rights on behalf of Warner Chappell Music France SA administered by WC Music Corp.

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