staff, carved and painted wood; from pointed base are woman w/ baby on back, standing woman holding staff, man wrestling with crocodile and rooster w/ snake in mouth; ocher colors + black; bifurcated iron ornament representing fishtail attached at top; l. 128.4 cm.
Donor:
Berta Bascom
Collection place:
Nigeria
Verbatim coll. place:
West Africa, Nigeria, Yoruba, Meko; Carver: Duga of Meko
Culture or time period:
Yoruba
Maker or artist:
Duga of Meko
Collector:
Berta Bascom and William Russell Bascom
Collection date:
1951
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:
September 16, 1988
Context of use:
used during initiation rites to the River Goddess Yewa (cf. stoll, 5-14939; they are used together). represented are a man and his two wives, one of them carrying a baby. the original is in the shrine in Meko and the crocodile is at the base in the original. this copy was commissioned by the Bascoms.
Department:
Africa (except Ancient Egypt)
Dimensions:
length 128.4 centimeters
Comment:
Notation on Accession Record: “For initiation to River Goddess Yewa. Represented are a man and his two wives (one of them carrying a baby); crocodile on staff would be on the base of the original from which this was copied and carved by Duga of Meko. Collected in 1951 in Meko. Commissioned by the Bascoms. Original is in shrine in Meko, Nigeria.” DO NOT TOUCH PAINT. NOTE: Catalogue number is not visible on the object - only the Bascom Inventory number, B2114, which has been retaped to the base, is visible. PAHMA Storage Loc: 20A Mez, 115B