Herbalists staff "opa osanyin" ·  Nigeria, Yoruba · ID: 3032203

Description

staff of wrought iron, crowned by a stylized bird, a circle of 14 smaller birds below, min. dam., traces of corrosion, wooden base;
the staff is planted in the ground at the entrance to an “osanyin” priests compound to ward off nocturnal attacks by witches. “Orunmila” is represented by the big bird on top of the staff.

The object Herbalists staff “opa osanyin” with the object ID 3032203 was part of the auction 68th tribal art auction on March 3, 2012. The object with the lot number 186 achieved a sales price of EUR 220 with an asking price of EUR 200.

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Comparing literature

Witte, Hans, A Closer Look, Berg en Dal 2004, p. 251 f.