Divining tray; rectangular tray, carved wood, outer edge carved w/ various geometric designs and top center edge has face of Eshu; center of tray is lower plane; length: 40.5 cm, width/breadth: 29.5 cm
Donor:
Berta Bascom
Collection place:
Meko, Nigeria
Verbatim coll. place:
Africa; Nigeria; Meko; Yoruba; carved by Duga of Meko
Culture or time period:
Yoruba
Maker or artist:
Duga of Meko
Collector:
Berta Bascom and William Russell Bascom
Collection date:
1950
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Carvings (visual works) and Divining trays
Function:
5.1 Religion and Divination: Objects and garb associated with practices reflecting submission, devotion, obedience, and service to supernatural agencies
Context of use:
when divining with palm nuts, the figures of Ifa are marked w/ powder on the divining tray and, even when the divining chain is used, the tray is often employed in the course of making the sacrifices or the medicines which are prescribed. Cf. Bascom IFA DIVINATION pp. 33-34; carved by Duga of Meko
Department:
Africa (except Ancient Egypt)
Dimensions:
length 40.5 centimeters and width 29.5 centimeters
Comment:
Photo: Halsted 111. Illustrated: Bascom; Ifa Divination, 1969, Pl.12 & sup. 34. B/W photo stored with Bascom Collection Index Card File. PAHMA Storage Loc: W-15-5