THE LEGACY OF I FE There are few places in the world where one can find continuities in a millennium of history. lie is one such place, where the deities and heroes honored in modern life trace their origins to forebears from a thousand years ago. Although many questions remain about life in ancient Ife and the artists who created this art, there is no doubt that it still has special meaning for Yoruba people while still moving us by its evocative and provocative imagery. The legacy of Ife art extends far beyond the boundaries of the city of lie itself, and even beyond the geographic and diasporic communities of Yoruba people. Today in Nigeria, as well as in other parts of West Africa, artists continue to create metal and terra-cotta works that draw upon this great tradition. Some of the works made today are copies of the older works, while others are original creations that speak to a new world. The older works, many of which are displayed in this exhibition, still resonate with the intense human emotions that motivated their makers.
46
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED