Sculpture - Wood - Shango - Nigeria

A Shango dance wand ("Oshe" Shango) , standing on a double axe a female figure is leading an animal, possibly a ram, with her left hand, in her right hand she is carrying a high, curved object, her skirt is decorated with a zig-zag line and belted, her full breasts stand out slightly, the long nose is a bit wider than the full, slightly opened mouth, the rhomboidal eyes are big and protruding, the ears differ a little bit, above the arched forehead the hair is piled up high and combined in a knot at the tip; mahogany-coloured patina, the often touched parts are rubbed off and therefore are brighter, remains of Camwood sacrification. "The placement of the double axe at the bottom of the shaft is rare. Only two other wands with this configuration have been published: the Museum Rietberg in Zurich has an Oshe Shango that was collected in the Igbomina area and brought to Switzerland by the Basel Mission before 1820, (14) and the other resides in a private collection in London. . .