Accession Number2005/1.238
TitleDiviner's Staff
Artist(s)YorubaArtist NationalityYoruba (culture or style)Object Creation Date20th centuryMedium & SupportironDimensions 49 in x 5 15/16 in x 2 in (124.5 cm x 15 cm x 5 cm)
Credit LineGift of Candis and Helmut SternSubject matterWrought-iron staffs such as this one, called
opa osun, would have been an important possession of a Yoruba
diviner (called
babalawo) for
Ifa, the process of divination. The staff acted as both an altar to Orunmila, the god of divination, as well as a symbol of office for the diviner during public events. The three clusters along the length of the staff are bells that would have rattled when used as a walking stick. The birds may represent pigeons, considered agile and dignified by Yoruba peoples. Birds were also found on the regalia of Yoruba monarchs, often seen as a symbol of the power of women in Yoruba society. That the staff remain upright was necessary to receive blessings from Orunmila; it could also be seen that the diviner must be an upright person, as he or she would be responsible for the social and spiritual welfare of the community.
References Cited:
Lawal, Babatunde. 2012.
Visions of Africa: Yoruba. Milan: 5 Contintents Editions.
Drewal, Henry John, John Pemberton, and Rowland O. Abiodun. 1989.
Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought. New York: Center for African Art.
Physical DescriptionIron staff with 3 sets of 4 bells along the length, with two leaf-like protrusions near the middle. At the top are 7 birds in a circle surmounted by one large bird.
Primary Object Classification Metalwork Primary Object TypestaffCollection AreaAfricanRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
communication (function)
divination
divination objects
knowledge
power
symbols of office or status