Indigenous Wall Ornamentation in Yoruba Domestic Buildings, Osogbo As an Archetype

Foluso Modupe Abejide ,Eyitayo Tolulope Ijisakin

doi:10.7176/jcsd/57-05

Abstract

The origin of enrichment of walls among the Yoruba of Southwestern Nigeria is ambiguous, while the forms in the ornamentation of walls of the domestic building during the pre-colonial era remain inexplicit. Studies of Okediji (1989) and Campbell (2008) yielded insights into forms of ornamentation in some Yoruba shrines, but embellishment on walls of domestic buildings were common practices that were initially not seen as important, despite the richness of the forms. The indigenous practices are fading out fast, without adequate records of their existence, as old buildings are constantly lost to dilapidations and demolitions to accommodate modern developments. Forms in the ornamentation of the domestic buildings are also constantly changing in the modern world, as a result of cross-cultural influences occasioned by globalization. This result to being unknown to many youths of nowadays necessitating digging into cultural roots of the practice, to unveil the origin of the practice and documenting the forms at the inception. The study uses Osogbo, an antique Yoruba town renowned for her rich artistic culture, as an archetype for investigating the cultural roots of the practice in Yorubaland. Data generated from the field were analytically studied. This includes oral interviews with custodians of history to elicit information on the origin of embellishment on buildings; owners of antique buildings were also interviewed to generate information on the forms on their buildings. The study will serve as a reference point to future generations on the creative ingenuity of the past while keeping cultural heritage intact for future generations. It will also promote cultural consciousness, leading to the strengthening of the sense of cultural identity in the people. Keywords: Yoruba, Ornamentation, Heritage, Indigenous domestic buildings, Osogbo. DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/57-05 Publication date: March 31 st 2020

Highlights

The word heritage refers to traditional ways and accepted inherited valuable legacy of society, culture which is peculiar to a particular society
Artistic accompaniments and the use of ornamentation in buildings are important aspects of the Yoruba cultural heritage which had been since time immemorial
Summary of Findings and Conclusion Findings and images in this paper, give insight into the nature and forms of ornamentation in Yorùbáland in the www.iiste.org pre-colonial times, which constitute the cultural heritage of the people

Summary

Introduction

The word heritage refers to traditional ways and accepted inherited valuable legacy of society, culture which is peculiar to a particular society. The decorations on buildings, which predate the European advent, are mostly found in the indigenous quarters in the traditional core areas of Osogbo such as Gbalegbómi, Ìgbònà, Ojà-Oba, Ìsàlè-Òsun, Ìsàlè-Àró, Balógun-Àgòrò, Òkè-Baálè, Asúbíaró, and Ìta-Olóókan These are early settlements at the center of the city, which came into being from the 18th century to about 1935 (Egúnjobí, 1995, Okpako and Àmòlé 2012). Ojo (1966:156) emphasizes that ornamentation of houses by commoners was seen as rivalry and an insult to the rulers, stating how a particular artist who had his house decorated in Oyo, was made to clean off the adornment and instead repeated it on the palace wall It could be deduced from Johnson (1921:99) that domestic buildings owned by high chiefs used to be ornamented in the past, though not as elaborately as the Oba’s palace, an act which was not extended to common citizens

The Beginning of Ornamentation of Yoruba Domestic Buildings

Early Forms of Painted Ornamentation

Combination of Mouldings and Paintings