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Source Description
In Ifa divination, the priest sprinkles wood powder over the smooth inner surface of a wooden tray. As the sacred palm nuts are cast, the diviner records the results by marking the powder with an ivory tapper. The markings reveal the proper chants to be recited. The four faces carved on the tray's rim portray Esu, who bears sacrifices to the gods, and oversees the divination ritual. The kneeling figures are probably petitioners; one has a leashed animal for sacrifice. Other motifs include turtles, curled mudfish, and snails. These creatures, which can survive on land or in water, are symbols of the diviner's ability to connect the human and spiritual realms.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
157103
label
Divination Tray (ọpọ́n Ifá)
core
obj
dtoType
sculpture
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
157103
contentType
sculpture
title
Divination Tray (ọpọ́n Ifá)
description
In Ifa divination, the priest sprinkles wood powder over the smooth inner surface of a wooden tray. As the sacred palm nuts are cast, the diviner records the results by marking the powder with an ivory tapper. The markings reveal the proper chants to be recited. The four faces carved on the tray's rim portray Esu, who bears sacrifices to the gods, and oversees the divination ritual. The kneeling figures are probably petitioners; one has a leashed animal for sacrifice. Other motifs include turtles, curled mudfish, and snails. These creatures, which can survive on land or in water, are symbols of the diviner's ability to connect the human and spiritual realms.
date
1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79947404
genreSpecific
Sculpture
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 42 cm (16 9/16 in.); Overall: 3.2 cm (1 1/4 in.)
cul
Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker
accession
1993.235
Source extras
tec
wood
tombstone
Divination Tray (ọpọ́n Ifá), 1900s. Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker. Wood; diameter: 42 cm (16 9/16 in.); overall: 3.2 cm (1 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Drs. James and Gladys Strain, 1993.235
collection
African Art
citations
citation
“1993 Annual Report.” <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 81, no. 6 (July 1994): 143–218.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 158
creditline
Gift of Drs. James and Gladys Strain
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:10:34.570000
sourceId
157103
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
wood
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
5f16869337c9c796