Eshu figure with shell attachments

unrecorded Oyo artist, artist

Eshu figure with shell attachments, late 1800s–1975

Where object was made: North Oyo, Nigeria

Material/technique: leather; pigment; rawhide; dyeing; staining; carving; wood; cowrie shell; shell

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 40 x 9 x 16 cm standing with shells draped
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 15 3/4 x 3 9/16 x 6 5/16 in

Credit line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. Kenneth Palmer

Accession number: 2007.3098

Not on display

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Associated with liminal places like crossroads and thresholds, the Yoruba orisha (deity) Eshu mediates between the mortal and divine realms. Because of his ability to permeate these boundaries, individuals worship carved representations of Eshu with the hope of gaining favor in the Other World. Figures like this one, which retains its long, heavy strands of beaded shells, would have been suspended on a chain or rope and worn over a worshipper’s shoulder during certain rituals and celebrations; when not in use, it would have been lovingly maintained in a personal shrine. Often maligned as a trickster, Eshu is also closely linked with Ifa, the Yoruba god of divination. By manipulating palm nuts in a special cup, a diviner convenes with Ifa to resolve physical ailments and personal quandaries believed to be caused by spirits of the Other World.

Exhibition Label:
"Roots and Journeys: Encountering Global Arts and Cultures," Jun-2013, Cassandra Mesick
Associated with liminal places like crossroads and thresholds, the Yoruba orisha (deity) Eshu mediates between the mortal and divine realms. Because of his ability to permeate these boundaries, individuals worship carved representations of Eshu with the hope of gaining favor in the Other World. Figures like this one, which retains its long, heavy strands of beaded shells, would have been suspended on a chain or rope and worn over a worshipper’s shoulder during certain rituals and celebrations; when not in use, it would have been lovingly maintained in a personal shrine. Often maligned as a trickster, Eshu is also closely linked with Ifa, the Yoruba god of divination. By manipulating palm nuts in a special cup, a diviner convenes with Ifa to resolve physical ailments and personal quandaries believed to be caused by spirits of the Other World.

Archive label for Palmer collection exhibit, date unknown:
One of the more popular Yoruba orishas was Eshu, a sly demon noted for his tricks and the general promotion of confusion and disruption. Eshu is distinctively represented by wearing a cap with a flopping peak and by usually carrying in his hands a flute or other musical instrument.