Early 20th C. Yoruba Wood Shango Staff w/ Female Figure
**Originally Listed At $250**
West Africa, Nigeria, Yoruba peoples, ca. early 20th century CE. A ceremonial staff known as an ose Shango depicting a woman kneeling atop an integral rectangular plinth and cylindrical handle. The woman wears a skirt, but is nude above the waist, with a beaded necklace hanging between her conical breasts. Her hands grasp the ends of the arching headdress. Her stylized visage consists of large almond shaped eyes, a short, broad nose, and full lips. Linear scarification marks or tattoos are etched on her cheeks and below her incised coiffure. The top of the head is surmounted with a sizable double axe finial bearing a three ovoid "eyes". The double axe symbol represents thunderstones, the sources of destructive power of the thunder god Shango. The surface of this staff has a rich nearly black patina from age and touch! Shango is the Yoruba deity of thunder and lightning, and the woman carved on the staff was intended to represent a worshipper of Shango. Size: 4.25" W x 14.75" H (10.8 cm x 37.5 cm); 16" H (40.6 cm) on included custom stand.
An ose Shango like this example is a ceremonial staff used when honoring the god Shango (also Jakuta), a royal ancestor of the Yoruba people who was the third king (alafin) of the Oyo Kingdom. Shango, the god of thunder and lightning, was also associated with virility and justice, and generally revered as one of the most powerful Yoruba leaders, and became a powerful god when he was deified after his death. Shango staves are carried and danced with by members of the Shango cult to pay their respects while providing offerings for safety and security.
Provenance: private Arcadia, California, USA collection, acquired prior to 2000
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#162089
Condition Report: Professionally repaired; right side of double axe reattached with traces of adhesive in hairline fissure; left arm reattached with resurfacing at shoulder. Nicks and chips to high pointed areas. Stable fissures across head and body. Nice patina and sharp details!
View it on
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
**Originally Listed At $250**
West Africa, Nigeria, Yoruba peoples, ca. early 20th century CE. A ceremonial staff known as an ose Shango depicting a woman kneeling atop an integral rectangular plinth and cylindrical handle. The woman wears a skirt, but is nude above the waist, with a beaded necklace hanging between her conical breasts. Her hands grasp the ends of the arching headdress. Her stylized visage consists of large almond shaped eyes, a short, broad nose, and full lips. Linear scarification marks or tattoos are etched on her cheeks and below her incised coiffure. The top of the head is surmounted with a sizable double axe finial bearing a three ovoid "eyes". The double axe symbol represents thunderstones, the sources of destructive power of the thunder god Shango. The surface of this staff has a rich nearly black patina from age and touch! Shango is the Yoruba deity of thunder and lightning, and the woman carved on the staff was intended to represent a worshipper of Shango. Size: 4.25" W x 14.75" H (10.8 cm x 37.5 cm); 16" H (40.6 cm) on included custom stand.
An ose Shango like this example is a ceremonial staff used when honoring the god Shango (also Jakuta), a royal ancestor of the Yoruba people who was the third king (alafin) of the Oyo Kingdom. Shango, the god of thunder and lightning, was also associated with virility and justice, and generally revered as one of the most powerful Yoruba leaders, and became a powerful god when he was deified after his death. Shango staves are carried and danced with by members of the Shango cult to pay their respects while providing offerings for safety and security.
Provenance: private Arcadia, California, USA collection, acquired prior to 2000
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#162089
Condition Report: Professionally repaired; right side of double axe reattached with traces of adhesive in hairline fissure; left arm reattached with resurfacing at shoulder. Nicks and chips to high pointed areas. Stable fissures across head and body. Nice patina and sharp details!
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
