Staff "eshu"/"elegba"

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Description

wood, black patina, indigo blue pigment, round staff, carved with the bearded face of “eshu”, who is identified by the projecting lobe, baring a further face of “eshu” on the rear, hung with eight cowrie strings, fixed by knotted plant fibre, slightly dam., paint rubbed off, socle;
“eshu”/“elegba” is the messenger of the gods and divine prankster. Such staffs served as insignia of office for leaders of the “eshu” cult.

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Comparing literature

Drewal, Henry John, African Artistry, Atlanta 1980, p. 27

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