Object Details
- Label Text
- Yoruba sculptors carved several of the implements that diviner-priests (babalawo) used in the Ifa divination ritual to consult Orunmila, the god of wisdom. The Yoruba sought Orunmila's help to understand the cause of misfortune or to secure blessings and advice on significant undertakings. Ifa divination implements include a wood or ivory tapper (iroke Ifa) with which to signal the deity; a wood or, rarely, ivory container (agere Ifa) for the 16 sacred palm nuts that are manipulated during the ritual; and a wood board or tray (opon Ifa) on which the diviner makes the mark(s) of an odu, the corpus of verses that prescribe the action necessary to assure success.
- Although Ifa divination is a system of religious practice, the iconography of its sculpture is not limited to religious themes. This cup, for example, is supported on the head of an armed warrior (jagunjagun), a beneficiary of Orunmila's wisdom. The warrior rides astride a caparisoned horse, a symbol of power and military might.
- Description
- Wood divination cup composed of an equestrian figure with a spear in its proper right hand, supporting a small bowl on its head.
- Provenance
- Emile M. Deletaille, Brussels, 1974 to 1985
- Exhibition History
- African Cosmos: Stellar Arts, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 20-December 9, 2012; Newark Museum, February 26-August 11, 2013; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, August 23-November 30, 2014; Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, Atlanta, January 31-June 21, 2015
- Published References
- Arts d'Afrique Noire. 1975 (winter). Arnouville, vol. 16, cover.
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Yoruba artist
- Date
- Early to mid-20th century
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase
- Medium
- Wood, pigment
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 23.8 x 16.1 x 19.6 cm (9 3/8 x 6 5/16 x 7 11/16 in.)
- Type
- Sculpture
