Art Institute of Chicago

Esu Dance Staff (Ogo Elegbara)

Attributed to an unidentified Ketu master (active mid-19th century)

Date

Mid–late 19th century

Medium

Wood

Culture

Nigeria

Department

Arts of Africa

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This dance staff for the deity Eshu depicts a warrior flanked by a bound captive and a nursing mother. This work was made during a turbulent period of civil war. The warrior’s cap is depicted as a crooked phallus, which is a symbol of Eshu—the divine messenger, facilitator, and provocateur—and allows for the staff to be hooked over the shoulder.

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