Cleveland Museum of Art

Dance staff for Èṣù (Ògò Èlẹ́gba)

Date

1800s

Medium

Wood, leather, cowrie shells, seeds, and natural fiber

Culture

Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Èṣù (also called Èḷégba) embodies the most complex deity in the Yorùbá pantheon of gods. The messenger of the Yorùbá gods, Èṣù is also the bearer of sacrifices, guardian of the ritual way of life, and is associated with highly significant places including crossroads, markets, and home entrances. As seen here, Èṣù's power is often visually represented in Ògò Èḷégba (dance staffs); in this example, the unusually paired man and woman reference his ability to switch between the two genders, turn death into life (through childbirth), and to overcome the tension between the sexes. The male character bears a ritual flute reserved for this god. The abundance of cowrie shells means that Èṣù brings wealth. If Eshu isn’t properly honored, trouble may befall the community or individual.

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