Ade, the Yoruba term for crown, is a symbol of power, authority and sovereignty. Just like many other monarchical civilizations, this revered head ornament gives legitimacy to the office of the Oba (King). The most significant of them all, Ade-Are, or Ade Oduduwa is a beaded conical crown structure, popular for its intricacy and regency, and only worn by the highest monarchical authority of all Yoruba land, the Ooni of Ife. Today, there are several crowns similar to the Ade-Are one of which is the Ade-nla within the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art. This beaded crown is believed to be an inheritance from the historic ancestor of the Yorubas, Oduduwa.
To know more about the Yoruba Beaded Crown, click on the link below to download the information sheet.