Artwork Page for Divination Tray (ọpọ́n Ifá)

Details / Information for Divination Tray (ọpọ́n Ifá)

Divination Tray (ọpọ́n Ifá)

1900s

Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker

Medium
wood
Measurements
Diameter: 42 cm (16 9/16 in.); Overall: 3.2 cm (1 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Drs. James and Gladys Strain 1993.235
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

In Ifa divination, the priest sprinkles wood powder over the smooth inner surface of a wooden tray. As the sacred palm nuts are cast, the diviner records the results by marking the powder with an ivory tapper. The markings reveal the proper chants to be recited. The four faces carved on the tray's rim portray Esu, who bears sacrifices to the gods, and oversees the divination ritual. The kneeling figures are probably petitioners; one has a leashed animal for sacrifice. Other motifs include turtles, curled mudfish, and snails. These creatures, which can survive on land or in water, are symbols of the diviner's ability to connect the human and spiritual realms.

Divination Tray (ọpọ́n Ifá)

1900s

Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker

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