Divination Tapper (Ìróké Ifá )
Artist/Maker
Yorùbá peoples
, Nigeria
Datemid-20th century
MediumIvory
DimensionsOverall: 7 15/16 × 1 in. (20.2 × 2.5 cm)
Credit LineGift of Diane Wedner and Ron Ziskin
Object number2001.24.2
Status
On viewOrunmila, the god who knows the destiny of every human, is the spiritual force behind Ifa. The diviner-priest holds the tapper in his right hand with which he invokes the diety during the divination process. That the tapper is usually made of ivory, a rare and expensive material, reflects the prestige of Ifa.
Exhibition History
Selections from the Ralph T. Coe Collection of African Art
- Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (October 3, 2002 - December 10, 2002 )
Ritual and Performance in the Yorùbá World
- Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (January 29, 2013 - June 30, 2013 )
Collections
- On View
- African & Oceanic
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18th–19th century
20th century
late 19th to early 20th century
early 19th century
early 19th century
20th century
mid-19th century
early 20th century
20th century
20th century
first half 20th century