Pair of Ritual Staffs (ẹdan Ògbóni)

Description

The chain connecting these two figures allows them to be worn in public by a member of the Ògbóni or Òṣùgbó association as authority emblems. The male on the right gives the association’s typical salute by clasping his left fist on the right one, while the female on the left holds her breasts as a sign of welcome and generosity. The use of copper alloy and iron expresses Ògbóni/Òṣùgbó's concerns with longevity and durability. Long iron spikes would have originally protruded from each figure's base.

Provenance

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Pair of Ritual Staffs (ẹdan Ògbóni)

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1800s

Accession Number

1996.402

Medium

Copper alloy and iron

Dimensions

Overall: 15 cm (5 7/8 in.)

Classification

Sculpture

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Drs. James, Gladys, Jay, Jeffrey, and Jamie Strain