Bracelet for the Oshugbo Society

This intricate bracelet was likely worn by a member of the Oshugbo society, a fraternal organization that commands political and social influence in Yorùbá society. Membership into this society is selective; recruitment occurs either through family inheritance or when one is chosen by ancestors. Oshugbo members were said to identify each other by means of “little brass figures worn on the arm,” which may refer to the carved faces on this bracelet. However, recent archeological work indicates that brass regalia like this example were not worn only within the Oshugbo society. Royalty, priests, and others who could afford the high price of brass also wore such bracelets. This well-executed design reveals the high level of metal casting developed by the people of Ijebu.