Divination Cup (agree ifa)
late 19th century
At times of misfortune and confusion, the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria rely on a sacred practice of divination. They seek out consultation with a priest called a babalawo or “father of secrets”. When he sits to begin calling on divine wisdom, he is surrounded by art that adds to his authority. This woman is lifting a vessel that once provided the diviner with implements to help clients face their circumstances with new clarity. Her nudity is a sign of respect, honoring the state in which the gods delivered her into the world.
Stylistically, this woman is a classic example of the Yoruba canon that prevailed before the 20th century, and is a complement to the Yoruba art in SAM’s Katherine White collection.
Wood
Gift of Gerard and Marianne Stora
2012.17
Provenance: Raphael Stora (born ca. 1888, Nanterre, France-died 1963, New York, NY) Collection, Paris and New York, by 1920s; to his son, Gerard Stora, New York, to 2012
Photo: Elizabeth Mann
