Yoruba crowns, known as ade or adenla, symbolize the king’s power, status, and divine authority within Yoruba culture. Characterized by their tall, conical shape and lavish beadwork, these crowns were worn by the oba (king) during state ceremonies and public functions, serving as visual emblems of royal wealth and spiritual prestige. The elaborate glass beads—imported from eastern Europe and northern Italy through transatlantic trade—were highly prized materials that underscored the oba’s worldly power while linking him to broader global networks of commerce and culture. The crown’s veil, cascading with beaded fringe, concealed the king’s face, reinforcing his separation from ordinary men and shielding onlookers from the intensity of his sacred gaze.

Construction began with starched cotton stretched over a woven armature to create the distinctive conical form. Onto this base, artisans painstakingly hand-stitched thousands of beads in vibrant patterns over many hours of labor. The crown’s design honored spiritual concepts at the heart of Yoruba kingship: the conical form references the ori inu—the “inner head” believed to house destiny, intellect, and spiritual essence—while the ori ode, or “outer head,” represents the physical self. Many crowns featured beaded birds ascending the cone and culminating in a single royal bird, symbols of supernatural insight and the king’s mastery over both earthly and spiritual realms. At the front, stylized faces often paid homage to Oduduwa, the divine progenitor and first Yoruba king. Each crown was unique, often with its own oriki (praise poetry or oral history), elevating it beyond mere regalia to a sacred object of communal reverence.

It was common for each unique crown to have their own oriki (chanted praise-names or oral history), and were revered by the oba’s many subjects. Threaded or beaded fringe is a common addition to the bottom rim of an oba’s crown. These elements help to partially obscure the face of the wearer, depersonalizing him and removing him from the visual continuity of ordinary men. Through the fringe, onlookers are also spared the full intensity of the oba’s blinding holy gaze. 

Source: St. Louis Art Museum https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/52218/

Adenla (crown), Yoruba Peoples, Nigeria, 20th century

Fabric, glass beads

Gift of Louis Goldich

Beads, thread, cotton cloth

CAT 2025 LG

Yoruba crowns are called ade or adenla, and they are a symbol of a king's power and status. The crowns are cone-shaped, covered in brightly colored beads, and worn during public functions and state occasions. Lavish glass beading on this crown emphasizes the wealth and power of a Yoruba "oba" (king). Glass beads, imported from eastern Europe and northern Italy via transatlantic trade, became an important signifier of wealth. This crown’s veil concealed the face of the oba; the luxury of bountifully beaded ornamentation further underscored the separation between a semidivine king and his constituency. The crown’s principal conical shape highlights the significance of an oba’s "ori inu," the "inner head," which in Yoruba belief holds one’s character, intellect, destiny, and spiritual essence. The ori inu takes precedent over the "ori ode," one’s physical "outer head."

Source: St. Louis Art Museum https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/52218/

Ham Pilu, Fali people, Cameroon and Nigeria, mid 20th century

Wood, glass beads, cowrie shells, leather, 10 ½”

Gift of Richard and Susan Ulevitch

CAT 2016 RU 6

In Cameroon, when a young Fali man becomes betrothed, he makes a doll (ham pilu) from wood and decorates the doll with hair, beads, and other small objects. He then gives the doll to his fiancee, who wears it in a baby carrier on her back. The doll is a symbol of their marriage commitment and represents their future child. The man gives the doll the gender that he desires for his first-born. The young woman cares for the figure until the promised child is born; at this point, the couple carefully stores the doll away.

Source: Cameron, Elisabeth. Isn't S/He A Doll: Play And Ritual In African Sculpture. Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum, 1996, p. 30.