In recognition of abundant forms of Yoruba Art, specific instances of carved planks and door panels offer common symbolic and pictographic representations. These representations are reminiscent of hieroglyphics in their visual forms
Caption: Carved planks and beams from Yoruba temples
Description: 9 Yoruba door panels Each with pictorial figures and repeating patterns in a column
Source:
The voice of Africa; being an account of the travels of the German Inner African Exploration Expedition in the years 1910-1912 by Frobenius, Leo, 1873-1938; Russell E. Train Africana Collection (Smithsonian Libraries) DSI. Publication date 1913. Contributor Smithsonian Libraries. Via Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/voiceofafricabei02frob/page/634/mode/2up
Hypothesis
These can be translated into stories and historic re-tellings. We may attempt to physically describe these panels and translate them into narrative interpretations, likely in the form of genealogical description of a series of leaders and their characteristics, as well events and the surrounding conditions.
These panels often have common patterns of motifs that are of note, and anchor our attempt at interpreting them:
The inter-woven patterns, which I speculate represent a passage of time/years, anthropomorphic figures. These patterns are used to border and segment the sections of pictographs. The weaves themselves vary in their number of interleaving as well as the internal with/against-the grain striations that might speak to periods of months vs years respectively (seems to be the case, given the context these are used in).
The “snake eating its tail” a.k.a “Ouroborous” motif (widely considered to represent reincarnation/rebirth [1]), varying border styles with patterns therein, and patterned backgrounds to the pictographs themselves.
The human pictographs, often representing members of royalty or priestly figures. Similar with/against the grain striations might represent the relative age of these figures.
Analysis and Interpretation
Here’s my attempt at describing and interpreting the collection of beams, panels by panel (with the assumption that they are an ordered narrative sequence):
Symbolic Analysis by Panel
This Instagram post provides a visual summary of this detailed analysis. See a preview of 4 of the 9-panels:
1st Panel
Top ⅓rd
Description: The top ⅓rd of the entire panel has 3 columns where the first and last take up ¼ with interweaved pattern borders, and the middle ½ is a pictorial figure of 4 figures with two smaller human figures with legs bent up and over/behind as if “kneeling” (a repeating motif of some figures); the next ⅓ with a downward snake-eating-its-tail (ouroborous); and the bottom ⅓ has another “crowned” human figure standing with a short staff in left hand and a long staff with an interlaced pattern in right hand
Interpretation: The position of these figures between an “ouroborus” might signify a leader being born of two parents, who might now be considered subjects given their “kneeling”
Middle ⅓rd
Description: The middle ⅓ is an interweave pattern grid of 4-by-5, with a serrated/perpendicular pattern against the weave itself (as opposed to the ribbon/parallel pattern inside the interweaved pattern in the top ⅓)
Interpretation: As I hypothesized above, this might represent 20 years of time passing; similarly the left and right-most columns in the top ⅓rd described above might represent the period of time between the parents and the leader born of them.
Bottom ⅓rd
Description: The bottom ⅓ has another pair of human figures arranged vertically with a snake in a “C” pattern between them, the top figure kneeling and the bottom figure with short staffs in both hands, and on the right of both figures (left from the figures’ perspective) there’s same the long right interlaced ribbon staff growing upwards toward the top of the frame (aligning with the left-hand interweaved staff of the figure in the top ⅓). The borders of the bottom ⅓ are wide on three sides except the top, taking up about ⅓ of the frame with a 3 ribbon/perpendicular pattern inside the interweaving diamond pattern
Interpretation: Similar to the above, this might represent another succession between kings,with the partial/“C” ouroboros snake meaning more like a brother/uncle/horizontal succession than a parental one
2nd Panel
Top ⅓rd
Description: Top and bottom ⅓ rds are of interweaved patterns 3-by-5 and 3-by-6 where the inner downwards lace is patterned against the ribbon while the rest are with the ribbon –
Interpretation: Symbolizing some passage of time, on the order of 15 and 18 years before and after the reign. The nature of the ribbons’s internal pattern (with or against the grain) might generally indicate the nature of that time period
Middle ⅓rd
Description: The middle second is of a standing king figure in his right hand and spear in left hand, a stool/throne appears in the background on his right hand side
Interpretation: This might be of a warrior king who is engaged in combat at a distance from usual sitting-on-the-throne
Bottom ⅓rd
(See first section)
3rd Panel
Top ⅓rd
Description: Has a bit more blank space at the top, but also interweaving patterns, more diamond-linked than the previous panel, of 4-by-4 each on the top and bottom ⅓ rds.
Middle ⅓rd
Description: In the middle is a standing figure of sorts with a satchel between two pairs of stalks joined at the top – potentially a hunter/farmer in the middle of the bush
Interpretation: This appears to be of a hunter/farmer or ruler more devoted towards cultivation of land and inner resources, with 20 years before and after his reign, a diamond pattern and with-the-grain bands (4 and 3 on each)
Bottom ⅓rd
(See first section)
4th Panel
Top ⅓rd
Description: Top ⅓ rd is a king figure with a spear in right and sward in left, with a snake/catfish in a “U” shape, bordered on top, left and right with narrow interleaving of diamond, in-the grain 3-bands, the top bar being interlocking, and left and right being 2-by-7 on each side.
Interpretation: a king who succeeded himself perhaps after some interregnum, a common pattern in royal succession
Middle ⅓rd
Description: Middle ⅓ rd is more interleaving, all against the grain and more round than diamond 4-by-3
Interpretation: 12 years (or otherwise time period), the grain representing either the quantity (months or years) or nature (climate, peace) of the time period
Bottom ⅓rd
Description: Bottom ⅓ rd has what appears to be a monkey with an upside down axe (symbol of war associated with Sango), atop a kneeling king. This is bordered by left and right interweaving patterns of 2-by-7 each.
Interpretation: a king led by a misinformed or “animalistic” bias towards war or aggression
5th Panel
Top ⅓rd
Description: Top ⅓ rd is a king figure kneeling, and in the background a trumpeter blowing on his right hand side, and a 3-by-3 weaved pattern against-the-grain on his left. In the midground along the king is a square Ifa divination board, and a 5-by-1 pattern at his knees. In the foreground is a naked Ifa priest casting divination on a circular board, and ahead of that two circular plates with 17 and 15 beads in each, and a stick/cylinder (likely Opon Ifa) in between.
Interpretation: a king inquiring of Ifa with the Ifa priest or Babalawo interceding. The trumpeter likely showing the importance of this particular inquiry in announcing the kings presence, the patterns maybe representing the relative timing and nature of the period, and finally the plates with beads representing the outcome of the divination
Middle ⅓rd
Description: This middle third is a spiral pattern with 8 layers, where the innermost juts out to the right side of the image. This spiral has diamond notches within it at regular intervals
Interpretation: spirals might also represent some state of either growth or decline, and the jutting out the the right might represent a positive outcome
Bottom ⅓rd
Description: Bottom ⅓ rd appears to be the same king, kneeling again, with a subject/trumpeter to his left hand side with their back to the king
Interpretation: This isn’t abundantly clear in this context, but perhaps suggests continued devotion or humility from the king, even in the presence of subjects
6th Panel
Top ⅓rd
Description: Top ⅓ rd is a 4-by-6 weaved pattern with the grain, and another 6-by-1 pattern against the grain beneath it
Interpretation: This might represent two periods in the passage of time, from 24 months/years of a certain nature to 6 years/months of another nature
Middle ⅓rd
Description: Middle ⅓ rd consists of twin panels, bordered at the top and bottom a snake/ribbon figure interleaved 6 ½ times (with the right side open, likely a snake's head/tail). The top panel has a kneeling king in the center with a possible queen/subject figure on his right hand side, and on the left hand side is a baby/child figure with a Sango axe atop them. The bottom panel is similar except the kings striations go from against the grain to with the grain (on his crown and legs), and the child and axe figure is now a crocodile.
Interpretation: This might represent a king raising his child in a strict war-like manner, wherein the child grows to become a crocodile figure which might represent war or justice.
Bottom ⅓rd
Description: Bottom ⅓ rd is a mirror of the top ⅓ rd, except with a 6-by-7 with the pattern
7th Panel
Top ⅓rd
Description: Top ⅓ rd shows another similar motif to the 2nd panel, of a king further from his throne with sword and spear in arm, signifying a war like nature. The very top of this is a 3-by-6 with-the-grain-serrated weave
Interpretation: Similar to the 2nd panel, represents a king in wartime, further from the throne. This appears to have happened after some 6 year interregnum, perhaps from the start of the king’s reign.
Middle ⅓rd
Description: Middle ⅓ rd has three patterns in vertical order, first a set of 4-legged animals (cows, horses or camels), second a snake/fish like figure in an n-shape going left to right, third is a 3-by-1 against the grain pattern
Interpretation: This could represent a time period of prosperity given animals representing wealth, almost occurring in a 3 month cycle such as with the change of seasons
Bottom ⅓rd
Description: Bottom ⅓ rd is similar to the top, perhaps of the same king in a different season, now holding a scepter of sorts in his right hand and a staff in his left. The very bottom of this is another 3-by-6 with-the-grain-serrated weave
Interpretation: This could represent the king in peacetime, reigning with regal symbols, likely reflecting the prosperity of the previous ⅓ rd of the panel
8th Panel
Description: The entire panel is one with-the-grain weave of 2-by-16 + 3 = 35. The + 3 comes from the extra notch on the top weave
Interpretation: Based on how we’ve interpreted other such weave patterns, this might signify the passage of 35 years
9th Panel
Top ⅓rd
Description: Top ⅓ rd shows a 3-by-5 weave pattern with with-the-grain serrations
Interpretation: This, according to how we’re interpreting these, signifies 15 years of time passed
Middle ⅓rd
Description: Middle ⅓ rd shows a similar king to the 8th panel, somewhere in between both king figures, holding a scepter in the right hand and a spear in the left
Interpretation: This could represent a king straddling both war and peace-time roles
Bottom ⅓rd
Description: Bottom ⅓ rd is a mirror of the top, showing a 3-by-5 weave pattern with with-the-grain serrations
Interpretation: Again, according to how we’re interpreting these, this signifies 15 years of time passed
Narrative Arc by Panel
Going off this in-depth narrative analysis, here’s a general summary on this basis (summarized with the help of AI tools):
1st Panel: The Origin of Lineage
Theme:Mythic birth and succession.
A central leader is "born" between two kneeling figures (possibly parents), symbolized with the ouroboros (cyclical time or divine origin).
The panel anchors the concept of time via woven patterns, introducing structured temporal symbolism (like “20 years”).
Bottom section suggests succession from another family member—hinting at multiple branches of royal inheritance.
2nd Panel: Ascendancy of a Warrior King
Theme:Assertion of kingship and military authority.
Woven patterns again suggest time passed before/after reign.
Central figure is a warrior king, standing and armed, suggesting a ruler engaged with external affairs rather than throne-centered rule.
3rd Panel: A Cultivator King
Theme:Resource stewardship and inner development.
A figure stands between stalks and tools, representing farming/hunting—a ruler emphasizing land, sustenance, or cultural growth.
Framing patterns maintain the cyclical “20-year” temporal structure.
4th Panel: Disrupted Kingship and Instinctual Rule
Theme:Interruption, restoration, and flawed governance.
A king reclaims his role after an interregnum (suggested by the U-shaped snake).
Bottom image of a monkey and war symbol implies an unwise ruler driven by baser instincts, bringing possible instability or violent rule.
5th Panel: The Turn to Divination
Theme:Spiritual inquiry and transformative guidance.
A kneeling king consults an Ifa priest, with divination symbols abundant—plates, beads, and Opon Ifa.
Spiral motif suggests positive cyclical growth or breakthrough from divine consultation.
Humility is emphasized—perhaps a king learning from missteps of previous rule.
6th Panel: Intergenerational Transmission
Theme:Raising a warrior heir.
Time and transformation are clear: a child is introduced with a Sango axe (symbol of thunder/justice/war), later becoming a crocodile—a powerful, possibly dangerous figure.
This panel centers parenting, legacy, and metamorphosis.
7th Panel: War to Peace
Theme:Seasonal duality in leadership.
Depicts the same king at two stages—first as a warrior, then holding regal symbols.
Middle panel with animals and cyclical patterns suggests shifting fortune or prosperity, potentially reflecting harvest seasons or alternating peace and war cycles.
8th Panel: Silent Passage of Time
Theme:Interlude, long reign, or generational gap.
No figures, only a 35-unit woven pattern—could represent a long, stable reign, interregnum, or ancestral reverence.
Suggests continuity without conflict, or sacred silence in the lineage.
9th Panel: The Balanced King
Theme:Synthesis of roles.
A king holding both spear and scepter bridges earlier war-peace dichotomies.
Mirrored time patterns imply equilibrium—15 years before and after.
Could signify a mature ruler embodying wisdom of past reigns, or beginning another cycle.
In summary, this nine-panel sequence tells a powerful story of kingship, time, and transformation. It begins with a divine birth and cyclical succession, symbolized by kneeling ancestors and the ouroboros. We follow a warrior king, a cultivator of land, a flawed ruler driven by instinct, and a humbled leader who turns to Ifa divination for guidance. A child is raised in the shadow of war and transforms into a symbol of justice. Across generations, we witness shifts from conflict to peace, seasons of prosperity, and the quiet passage of time. The final king embodies balance—bridging war and peace—completing a sacred cycle of leadership, legacy, and divine continuity.
Obatala and Odùduwà: the contested divine origin and birth of kingship;
Ogun: the warrior figure in exile and challenge;
Ọbalùfọ̀n Ògbógbódirin (Osangangan Obamakin): the long-reigning cultivator and consolidator of sacred kingship;
A flawed interregnum like Lajuwa: symbolized by the monkey-led king;
Ọbalùfọ̀n Aláyémọrẹ: the king who seeks divine guidance and spiritual grounding;
Ọ̀raǹmíyaǹ and his descendants: the child raised in war and transformed into a leader;
Later kings like Lájẹ̀misìn and Lárọ́ọ̀ká: reflecting balance, longevity, and the return to sacred order.
Conclusion
It is apparent how meaning can be derived from panels that might otherwise be viewed as solely decorative, even from an amateur interpretation.
This interpretation engages in African and Yoruba philosophy, seeking practical lessons that are steeped in material reality like art. This art serves not merely to decorate but also to record history and events, in pictographic and abstract forms. This bridges an analytic approach shared by semioticians of other well known art such as Egyptian hieroglyphics and Benin plaques.
A compelling path forward would be to analyze and interpret a large corpus of these, and do comparative analysis of the symbols and narratives that are presented, filling the ostensible gaps in African history from the lack of “written” language.
References:
Ouroboros - Wikipedia – An example of a common cross-cultural symbol that appears in Yoruba art
More archaic examples of Yoruba door panels from Frobenius’ expedition to Nigeria, German Inner African Exploration Expedition in the years 1910-1912 https://archive.org/details/voiceofafricabei02frob.
More recent examples of Yoruba door panels: Palace or shrine door panel from the Yoruba people of Nigeria | Wood, dull brown patina | By Olowe of Ise or his workshop. (Olowe of Ise, born in Efon Alaye, Southern Ekiti, is widely regarded both by the Yoruba of Ekiti and by Western students as the greatest Yoruba carver of the 20th century.) Auctionhouse Zemanek-Münster
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Yoruba religion has recently crossed my radar. Do you anything about elegun, or where I can read more about this idea?