Search Results

Title

Esu-Elegbara Dance Staff (ogo Esu-Elegbara)

Artist

Artist Unknown, African, Yoruba Peoples Nigeria

Physical Description

At the top of the staff, a male and female supplicant peer from a cascade of cowries, brass beads, iron fragments, and seeds. Some cowries are stained with indigo dye. The lower bodies of the figures are concealed by the shell strands above. Their elongated hairstyles extend the overall verticality of the piece. The figure’s faces appear to be identical.

Century

19th-20th century

Object Creation Date

1900-1975

Accession Number

2003/2.26

Medium and Support

wood, leather, cowrie shells, brass, iron, seeds

relevance

rank 16.25267

Primary Keywords

cowrie shell

dance

deity

kinetic

rattle

staff, ceremonial