African Fine Arts - AFRICAN-ART

The parallel lines over the face are typical of Ife heads. In Yoruba legend the city of Ife was the place where the gods came down to populate the earth. The children of the first god, Odudua, are said to have spread out from Ife, founding their own forest kingdoms in west Africa. The people of Ife influenced much of the art and culture of the neighboring regions - a metal worker is said to have taught the lost wax process to the people of Benin.