Ẹlẹ́ṣin (equestrian) figure for an Erinlẹ̀ shrine

The arrival of this mighty ẹlẹ́ṣin (horse owner) is heralded by a flute player. The equestrian rides in the West African fashion, with a single rein slung over his shoulder. Conceived for a shrine dedicated to Erinlẹ̀, principal òrìṣà (deity) in the town of Ilobu, the rider represents one of his followers. A brave elephant hunter in life, Erinlẹ̀ is credited with guiding Ilobu’s founders to their settling place before descending into a nearby river and taking deified form. His ongoing protection of the town and its residents is secured through regular veneration at shrines and designated riverside sites. Erinlẹ̀ is also the focus of an annual festival during which shrine figures are adorned with pigments, wrapped in textiles, and paraded before the ọba’s palace. Here, remnants of a ceremonially applied dotted motif accentuate the wood’s dark hue.


The makers of this impressive shrine figure, Maku and his son Toibo (Toyinbo), were accomplished woodcarvers, celebrated in their home village of Erin and the region at large. Working both collaboratively and as individuals, they produced a corpus of characteristically sleek, elongated shrine figures and àgéré Ifá (divination vessels) for local patrons. First documented in situ during the 1950s by the German scholar Ulli Beier, their work subsequently entered the collections of several Western museums, including the Yale University Art Gallery and the Brooklyn Museum.