Adénlá (beaded crown)

In Yoruba culture and religion, the orí (head) is the locus of great importance and power. Yoruba obas (kings or chieftains) must cover their heads at all times, and only they are entitled to wear what is considered to be sacred regalia: beaded crowns, beaded slippers, and beaded fly whisks. Regal headgear, currently represented by a number of examples in the Chazen’s collection, consists of the more informal oríkògbófò (modeled off Western crowns and wigs) and the more formal adé (a conical crown). The term adénlá refers to the beaded, veiled great crown. Crowns such as these would have historically been decorated with cowrie shells, then cornelian or coral beads, then (after the eighteenth century) glass seed beads, and most recently, plastic beads. While a royal crown maker could take liberties when making an oríkògbófò to express his full creativity, there were specific prescriptions around the decoration and coloration of the adé. The images on the crowns symbolize the ruler's spiritual powers and his connection to an unbroken royal line. Birds, faces, and interlace patterns are basic motifs. Faces refer to the watchfulness and protection of royal ancestors, while birds refer to the mystical powers of women whose support is necessary for the success of any ruler. The birds at the top of these crowns surround and surmount a packet of herbal medicines that would have been implanted by the maker into the top of the crown to protect the wearer. Hanging down from the rim of these crowns are strings of beads (some of which are no longer extant), which form a veil. The veil—a spiritual shield of sorts—distances the ruler from his subjects and masks his power.