This paper examines these scarification patterns and explores a possible origin for it outside the Yorùbá nation. The central question of this study is - if the patterns are not indigenous to the Ifè Yorùbá people, who then do the heads truly represent and where are they from? Through formal examination of the pattern on the heads and against the backdrop of historical data, correlation analysis with several facial scarification patterns within a predefined study area was carried out. | Journal of Anthropology and Archaeology December 2015, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 21-36 ISSN 2334-2420 (Print) 2334-2439 (Online) Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. Published by American Research Institute for Policy Development DOI: URL: Facial Scarification on Ifè Brass Heads: An Alternative Hypothesis and Its Implications. Akande Adeyemi1 Abstract The discovery of the Ifè heads in the early 20th century stirred the global art community. By the mid 20th century, the metal heads had become a sensation and source of pride to the Yorùbá nation. Prominent striation on some of the heads however raised many questions as the pattern could not be appropriated into any existing Yorùbá scarification pattern or stylistic philosophy. This paper examines these scarification patterns and explores a possible origin for it outside the Yorùbá nation. The central question of this study is - if the patterns are not indigenous to the Ifè Yorùbá people, who then do the heads truly represent and where are they from? Through formal examination of the pattern on the heads and against the backdrop of historical data, correlation analysis with several facial scarification patterns within a predefined study area was carried out. The findings suggest that the scarified heads are not a representation of any proto-Yorùbá group or practise and that the source of the stylistic inspiration for the facial design is not Yoruba. Keywords: Scarification, Ife, Brass, Facial identity, Yoruba 1. Introduction Ifè heads are a group of naturalistic head sculptures made generally of brass, bronze and terra cotta. Found mostly in and around Ile Ifè - the spiritual capital of the Yorùbá people. The existence of such sublime works troubled the imagination of scholars for the most part of the 20thcentury. Beyond their acclaimed beauty and naturalism, a feature that makes the heads peculiar is the pronounced surface pattern seen on a number of .
