Cylindrical Head
Museum of Ife Antiquities, Ife
This Cylindrical head also know as the Inner head. The inner head is spiritual and invisible."Perceivable by only through the imagination it embodies a persons spiritual and true being.[1] This object is sat on an alter to bless the inner head of the king. The two holes for eyes, wedge shaped cut for a mouth and rounded like knobs that come out the top suggest two different styles expressing different ideas. These ideas are the inner and outer head which are important concepts to the Yoruba. The outer head is the physical entity perceived through the senses[2]
[1]Werner Gillon, A Short history of African Art, (New York,New York: Facts on File Publications, 1984), 196.
[2]Monica Blackmun Visona, Robin Poynor , and Herbert m. Cole, A History Of Art In Africa, Second Edition, (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education Inc, 2008), 233.
[1]Werner Gillon, A Short history of African Art, (New York,New York: Facts on File Publications, 1984), 196.
[2]Monica Blackmun Visona, Robin Poynor , and Herbert m. Cole, A History Of Art In Africa, Second Edition, (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education Inc, 2008), 233.
Divination Tray
High Museum of Art, Atlanta
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The divination tray is an item used to call upon spirits to
solve problems of individuals and their families.[1] The tray like most is
in a circular shape with raised edges and decorated. Eshu the go between god and humans is a common figure to
appear on divination trays and other diviner tools. The tray is sprinkled with
dust from a special wood and sixteen palm nuts are thrown to determine the
configuration of signs. These configurations have oral language that goes along
with them and are chanted for the client to interpret them to their own
situation.[2]
[1] Christine Mullen Kreamer, Art Of Sub-Saharan Africa: The Fred and Rita Richman Collection, (Atlanta, Georgia: High Museum of Art, 1986), 49.
[2] ]Monica Blackmun Visona, Robin Poynor , and Herbert m. Cole, A History Of Art In Africa, Second Edition, (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education Inc, 2008), 244.
[1] Christine Mullen Kreamer, Art Of Sub-Saharan Africa: The Fred and Rita Richman Collection, (Atlanta, Georgia: High Museum of Art, 1986), 49.
[2] ]Monica Blackmun Visona, Robin Poynor , and Herbert m. Cole, A History Of Art In Africa, Second Edition, (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education Inc, 2008), 244.