Nigeria
Yoruba

Wood
Late 19th-Early 20th Century
Diameter: 15.5 in
Other – Ritual Symbolism

A circular Ifá  Yoruba Divination tray with a wide raised rim decorated with tribal motifs including the Face of Eshu, a trickster messenger from the gods.  In high relief encircling the tray are two insects (zoomorphic) with six short legs and a long body, two Eshu devotees (anthropomorphic) characters smoking pipes, another set of zoomorphic figures, and a crab-like creature at the bottom.  Each section is separated by raised zig-zag bands. The top of the tray has vertical symmetry. The ventral (backside) surface is plain with a small circle carved in the very center. Surface shows some scratching and wear from use and the wood has a dark brown patina.

Ifá is a Yoruba religion and system of divination.  It is an all-encompassing process of making known what is unknown.  It serves as a repository of the Yoruba traditional body of knowledge in medicine, folklore, and history.  Ifá is practiced in at least five countries in Africa as well as the diaspora.  The divination try is the central instrument used by the diviner-priest, whose purpose is making decisions, sacrifices, and seeking solutions to help solve serious problem with the help of ancestors and gods.