Dance Wand (Oshe Shango)
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Object Label
An oshe shango, or dance wand, is carried by devotees at the annual festival for Shango, the god of thunder and lightning. The double ax-blade motif on the figure's head represents a thunderbolt, associated with the sudden, overwhelming, and unpredictable power of of Shango. The female figure balancing the thunderbolts on her head represents a devotee of the god.
Caption
Yorùbá (Igbomina subgroup). Dance Wand (Oshe Shango), late 19th or early 20th century. Wood, pigment, 19 1/2 x 7 x 3 1/4 in. (49.5 x 17.8 x 8.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Frank L. Babbott Fund and Designated Purchase Fund, 79.27. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Dance Wand (Oshe Shango)
Date
late 19th or early 20th century
Geography
Possible place made: Kwara State, Nigeria, Possible place made: Osun State, Nigeria
Medium
Wood, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
19 1/2 x 7 x 3 1/4 in. (49.5 x 17.8 x 8.3 cm)
Credit Line
Frank L. Babbott Fund and Designated Purchase Fund
Accession Number
79.27
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