The ‘Ifa oracle’ of the Yoruba people works as follows: the supplicant and the divination priest (‘Babalawo’) sit opposite one another, between them lies the round or angular divination board (‘Opon Ifa’). The ‘client’ asks his questions – he tells the diviner what he would like to know. Whilst reciting, the ‘Babalawo’ taps the divination board with his pointer (‘Iroke Ifa’) therewith ensuring the appropriate gods answer the ‘client’s’ questions. The ‘Babalawo’ then strews white wood flour over the divination board, takes 16 ‘holy’ palm nuts from the ‘Agere Ifa’ bowl (like the present one) and throws the nuts onto the white floured board. Based on the position of the 16 nuts, the diviner is then able to ‘read’ what the supplicant wants to know.
The present ‘Agere Ifa’ oracle bowl is a beautiful and old specimen. It has all been carved from one piece of wood and dyed black. The bowl for the 16 nuts that the woman is carrying on her head, has a wide rim with a smooth, hatched zigzag pattern in relief around the edge. The woman underneath the bowl is evidently a devotee of the gods, to whom she presents sacrificial offerings. Her unusual, protruding face with its backward-sweeping hairstyle – three rows of braids on top of each other – is stylistically remarkable. Overall it is an interesting object, with some age-related damage (mended with a round, iron plate and old forged iron clips). Height: 18 cm; diameter: c. 15 cm (bowl in the upper section), early 20th century. (ME)

Provenance:
Austrian private collection.

Lit.:
'Yoruba. Sculpture of West Africa' by William Fagg & John Pemberton III., ill. 6, 15, 24, 51.