Sculptures and Caryatids: Necessity and Aesthetics Building Materials in Southwestern Nigerian Yoruba Palaces

Yoruba palaces are famous for their rich artistic traditions and culture, renown for the use of sculptures, caryatids, metal works, and wood carving.  The people are also famous for a holistic culture that excels in creative arts and contribute significantly to global culture. In the past, there were extensive use of sculptures and caryatids in Yoruba palaces but today, the usage has declined. The sacred, honor, dignity and glory of palaces and the beauty of using these materials for decorations and beautifications have been eroded due to civilization, modernization, education, colonialism, and cultural evolutions. Therefore, this paper is going to evaluate at the importance of these materials as necessity aesthetics building materials in the Yoruba palaces with a view to bringing back the lost sacred, honor, dignity and glory of the Yoruba palaces.

         The study employed descriptive and integrating on-site surveys. Qualitative approach was adopted. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. The principal survey technique used was interview and purposive sampling method was used in selecting the palaces in Yorubaland. Six palaces were selected namely: Alaafin of Oyo, Olubadan of Ibadan, Alake of Abeokuta, Soun of Ogbomoso, Olowo of Owo, and Ataoja of Osogbo. Data collected was analysed using historical approach.

         The study revealed that sculptures and caryatids were used extensively in old Yoruba palaces in the past. Majority of the palaces used them either outside or inside of the palaces to decorate and beautify the palaces, but today the materials are not widely used in the palaces. Majority of the caryatids and sculptures have been destroyed in majority of the palaces due to demolitions, renovations and reconstructions of the old palace. Palace museums that are archives of Yoruba culture are no more in existence and no provision or spaces in the new palaces to keep all these materials.

         This study concluded that it is high time the Yoruba people and Kings cherish traditional and local materials such as sculptures and caryatids, embrace them and blend new and old materials together in the beautification of palaces in order to balance cultural preservation with modernization. The study recommended extensive use of sculptures and caryatids in Yoruba palaces in order to bring back the lost glory, honor and dignity of these palaces.