Description: ceremony; religion; seven figures and a horse; large central figure astride mount holding a cutlass in proper right hand and reins of horse in proper left, face is thrust forward, long sleeves of his agbada folded over his shoulder, his beard touches head of small figure sitting almost on neck of horse, this figure leans further forward with head above that of horse, woman with breast-feeding child kneels on rump of horse, and four small figures surround the horse on the self-base
Label Text: An Agere Ifa is a ritual artifact used to hold the sixteen sacred palm nuts, ikin Ifa, used by Yoruba Ifa priests at the time that they are performing rites of divination. This one is unusually large for its type and is the work of a master carver from Ketu Yoruba region in southwestern Nigeria. The bowl that holds the sacred palm nuts is balanced atop the head of the central large figure astride a horse and holding a cutlass. Six other figures complete the intricate composition, including a mother holding her child to her breast.
Tags: ceremonies; animals; men; military Link to share this object record: https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+2004.46 |