Title staff "iwana ogun" · Nigeria, Yoruba · ID: 3038809
sold
EUR 800
Provenance
Jochen Winkler, Konstanz, GermanyAdrian Schlag, Brussels, Belgium
Lempertz, Brussels, 25. April 2009, lot 68
Size
H: 57 cm
H: 22.4 inch
Description
iron, brass, crowned by a sitting male figure, holding a pipe in his left hand, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion, base
In Yoruba religion, “ogun” is a primordial “orisha” in Yoruba Land. In some traditions, he is said to have cleared a path for the other “orisha” to enter Earth, using a metal ax.
“Ogun” is a very popular and feared god among the Yoruba pantheon of gods, known for both his creativity alongside his destructive nature.
“Ogun” altars and ceremonies display and use iron objects. Followers of “ogun” wear chains of iron implements; “ogun” festivals feature the display of knives, blacksmith implements, and other iron implements from daily life.
Comparing literature
Schädler, Karl-Ferdinand, Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture, München 2009, p. 305