Carved sculpture

Museum number:
5-3829
Permalink:
ark:/21549/hm21050003829
Accession number:
Acc.1829
Description:
Carved wooden spirit figure; called “father of ‘Agwu.’”Height 14 cm. “Agwu” refers to the personal spirit of the native doctor (”dibia”) --they will refer to this as their “Chi.” This is part of the series of wooden images which are placed out and invoked during the process of “igba afa” (divination); they are also used during the personal sacrifices on the part of the diviner himself.
Donor:
Richard N. Henderson and University Appropriation
Collection place:
Awkuzu, Nigeria
Verbatim coll. place:
Africa; Nigeria; Awkuzu; Ibo
Culture or time period:
Igbo
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Carvings (visual works)
Function:
5.1 Religion and Divination: Objects and garb associated with practices reflecting submission, devotion, obedience, and service to supernatural agencies
Accession date:
February 1964
Department:
Africa (except Ancient Egypt)
Images:
Hearst Museum object titled Carved sculpture, accession number 5-3829, described as Carved wooden spirit figure; called “father of ‘Agwu.’”Height 14 cm. “Agwu” refers to the personal spirit of the native doctor (”dibia”) --they will refer to this as their “Chi.” This is part of the series of wooden images which are placed out and invoked during the process of “igba afa” (divination); they are also used during the personal sacrifices on the part of the diviner himself.
Legacy documentation:
Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Carved sculpture, accession number 5-3829, described as Carved wooden spirit figure; called “father of ‘Agwu.’”Height 14 cm. “Agwu” refers to the personal spirit of the native doctor (”dibia”) --they will refer to this as their “Chi.” This is part of the series of wooden images which are placed out and invoked during the process of “igba afa” (divination); they are also used during the personal sacrifices on the part of the diviner himself.

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