Sculpture - Wood - Senufo - Ivory Coast

A Senufo Oracle sculpture, called "Kafigeledjo", Northern Ivory Coast, fabric, wood, cowrie shells, incl. stand. " A hybrid creation that lies outside the realm of anything recognizable in nature, this oracle figure deliberately provokes anxiety through its shrouded anonymity and the sense of suffocation and entrapment it suggests. These works and the ritual practice in which they are used are both known as kafigeledjo ("he who speaks the truth") . The figures give visual representation to invisible bush spirits and function as divination devices. Kafigeledjo divination is used to uncover misdeeds, false testimony, and culpability. Although such works have the potential to affect all members of a Senufo community, access to this oracle is restricted to the most enlightened senior male and, occasionally, female members, who keep it shrouded in secrecy. " Source: MET Museum.