Dance staff "eshu" ·  Nigeria, Yoruba · ID: 3034005

Description

wood, dark brown patina, habile handle, carved with a kneeling figure with beard and cantilevered “eshu”-lobe, the body concealed by long strings of cowrie shells, with seed capsules and bells inbetween, leather straps, slightly dam., on base;
the figure probably had a female counterpart to which it was attached by a long strap, and was worn around the neck by female devotees of “eshu”, with its head hanging down. When not in use, such figures were hung upside down and partly concealed behind the strings of cowrie shells hanging on the wall in an “eshu” shrine.

The object Dance staff “eshu” with the object ID 3034005 was last part of the auction 71st tribal art auction at November 24, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 305 achieved a sales price of EUR 2,800.

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Comparing literature

Witte, Hans, A Closer Look, Berg en Dal 2004, p. 195