Dance Staff for Esu/Elegba
Yoruba Artist
Nigeria

Details
Title
Dance Staff for Esu/Elegba
Artist/Maker
Yoruba Artist (Nigeria)
Date
Late nineteenth–early twentieth century
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
16 x 3 1/2 x 8 inches
Credit
Fred and Rita Richman Collection
Accession #
1980.500.72
In this dance staff made to honor Èshù, two faces look in opposite directions. Èshù is a deity honored by the Yoruba people of Nigeria and known throughout the African Diaspora as Elegua or Elegba. Èshù mediates opposing forces to bring together different worlds. He bears messages from the ancestral and spiritual realms, opens doors, and guards crossroads. Shrines to Èshù are placed wherever there is potential for conflict. Though known as a mischief-maker and agent provocateur, Èshù ultimately works to promote order and harmony in the universe. Èshù teaches wisdom, reminding people to look at the world from more than one point of view.
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