Oracle bowl "agere ifa"
Nigeria, Yoruba
sold
EUR 700
Provenance
Belgian Collection, BrussselsZemanek-Münster, Würzburg, 25 November 2006, lot 173
Size
H: 23,5 cm
H: 9.3 inch
Description
wood, dark brown patina, remains of pigments, male equestrian figure, with the upper part of the body extremely bent foreward, bowl with decorated rim, min. dam., cracks, slight traces of abrasion
The “agere ifa” divination bowl served as a receptacle for the sixteen sacred palm nuts (“ikin”). Through this medium, “ifa” priests communicated with the god of fate, “orunmila”, in order to obtain insights into an individual’s destiny.