Janus sceptre "ipawo ase" · Nigeria, Yoruba, Ijebu-Ode · ID: 3041882
French Private Collection
Alain Lecomte, Paris, France (2010)
Private Collection
Description
brass with patina, trapezoid base, originally provided with bells, crowned by human janus head, min. dam., slight traces of corrosion, base;
staffs like this, known as “ipawo ashe” or “scepters of vital force”, can be used by anyone with sufficient authority and vital force, i. e. district chiefs, priests, “oshugbo” elders and kings. These hand-held ceremonial staffs were used to greet those present and impose silence during gatherings.
The object Janus sceptre “ipawo ase” with the object ID 3041882 was part of the auction 85th Tribal Art Auction on March 4, 2017. The object with the lot number 293 achieved a sales price of EUR 3,000 with an asking price of EUR 2,000.
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Comparing literature
Witte, Hans, Earth and the Ancestors, Ogboni Iconography, Amsterdam 1988, p. 154
Publications
AHDRC: 0104144