Fausto Polo, Jean David, Ibeji, ABEOKUTA, Typ H 17, the ear as an identification mark.

Working in the nineteenth century, Italian art historian Giovanni Morelli strove to define the elements that most clearly manifest an artist’s individuality. The Morellian method found great interest with Sigmund Freud, and subsequent scholars and art historians have adapted it. The key to its analysis is artists’ tendency to repeat non-relevant elements. It also holds that there are certain forms which can be related to the individual artist rather than being influenced by “school or tradition”. As morphological evidence, Morelli used the forms of hands, ears, and fingernails, for example.

(quoted from Bettina von Lintig, Chance Encounter: Kwayep of Bamana, Tribal Art Magazine, no. 70, Winter 2013: p. 96)

Lit.: Bruno Cleassens looking at the ears. Wolfgang Jaenicke a morphing performance using the excample of a Lobi sculpture from Bimtiote Dah