Herbalist's staff "opa osanyin" ·  Nigeria, Yoruba · ID: 3051680

Description

iron, corroded, base

The Yoruba believe that the power of “osanyin”, the “orisha” (god) of medicine, is manifest in such wrought-iron sticks, the so-called “opa osanyin”. They traditionally consist of a circle of sixteen witch birds round a larger bird in the middle. This is interpreted both as “shopona” (god of infectious diseases) and as “Orunmila” (god of wisdom).

Priests and herbalists call on the help of “osanyin” to combat illnesses and other misfortunes, which are usually caused by malevolent forces (witches).

The object Herbalist’s staff “opa osanyin” with the object ID 3051680 was last part of the auction Auction 104 at April 12, 2025 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 249 achieved a sales price of EUR 400.

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Comparing literature

Witte, Hans, A Closer Look, Berg en Dal 2004, p. 251, fig. 262