The Aesetics of Color:

Yoruba Color Aesthetics

text by Dr. Roxanne Farrar

Look at the crown. Again, it becomes a crown because of the application of beads, a crown that would be worn by a king or by a holy man or woman. The Yoruba have priestesses as well as priests. All the various deities are represented here. Look at how the interlacing is done here; it's a little different than the other example above. Here it's raised and it's almost braided. The beads come up off the top of the hat. Try to imagine how heavy that hat is, too. It's totally covered with beads, so that it probably weighs at least five pounds.

copyright © Dr. Deborah Vess 1998-2001, Georgia College & State University and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. All rights reserved. Rights to chapters authored by contributing faculty members reserved to Georgia College & State University, to the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at GC&SU, and to the individual faculty authors.