Beschreibung:

Agere Ifa Yoruba divination cup, Nigeria
19th century
Wood
H. 27 cm

Provenance :
Helmut Zake Collection, Heidelberg, Germany

At the heart of Yoruba culture, the opon Ifa divination tray is a central piece of equipment for the babalawo, diviner, father of secrets, accompanied by an agere Ifa cup, such as this example. It is used during the ritual to invoke the Orunmila divinity.

William Bascom describes the process used in the orchestrated ritual (in Ifa divination, communication between gods and Men in West Africa, 1991). With the surface of the tray covered with a fine layer of wood powder or kaolin, the diviner picks up the nuts in the bowl, then manipulates them by passing them from one hand to the other, while tapping the iroke in the center of the tray, thus attracting the attention of Orunmila and Eshu. Gradually, figures take shape. The traces left behind are interpreted, and will determine the extract from Yoruba Odu literature and the verses to which the diviner will refer to guide humans on the path and trajectory to take in order to guide their destiny.

Inscribed in a dark patina on a circular base, the bowl depicts a female figure in the round, kneeling in a posture of prayer and deference. Knees bent slightly apart, feet delicately folded, hands positioned on either side of the thighs, highlight her waist adorned with a beaded belt. The face, with its fine ovoid features, is magnified by a conical headdress, announcing the cut.