Òsùgbó (Ògbóni) Elders' Society Drum (agba Òsùgbó)

June 1992, sold by Tambaran Gallery (New York, NY) to the Elvehjem Museum of Art [now called the Chazen Museum of Art] (Madison, WI)

• Exhibition gallery guide, "Revealing Forms: African Art from the Elvehjem Collection." 2002.
• Elvehjem Museum of Art. "Artscene." Vol. 8, No. 4, September/ October 1992. p. 1
• Elvehjem Museum of Art. "Bulletin 1991-1993." Elvehjem Museum of Art, 1994. p. 131

• Revealing Forms: African Art from the Collection: Elvehjem Museum of Art, 4/20/2002–6/16/2002

This tall, cylindrical wooden drum is carved in high relief with a central figure, identified as the sea goddess Olókun, flanked by two pairs of abstracted, peg-like figures. The goddess is rendered simply, with minimal detail apart from linear embellishments around her wrists, arms, and waist. Her head is large and triangular-shaped, topped with a conical, textured headdress. A series of parallel lines sweep upward from the headpiece, suggesting long hair floating outwards. The figure’s face features large almond-shaped eyes, a simple nose and mouth with bared teeth, large protruding ears, and three small diamond shapes carved into each cheek. Her arms and legs are spread wide, with both elbows and knees bent. She holds a large paddle-shaped bell in her right hand and a curved fly whisk in her left. On either side of Olókun is a pair of abstracted figures rendered in simple shapes. These peg-like figures have triangular heads mounted on narrow, cylindrical bodies with no limbs. They are minimally carved with small round eyes, noses, and mouths, and wear conical hats. Each pair is linked together by a chain or rope connecting the tops of their heads. The top of the drum, where the head is missing, is detailed with three horizontal grooves followed by a row of evenly spaced circular holes circling the top rim. The body narrows toward the base, which is carved to resemble a short stool resting on four thick legs. This stool-like base has a pattern of alternating horizontal and vertical grooves on its sides. The overall surface texture is weathered, rough, and dry, indicating significant age and long use. The drum is marred by many scratches and gouges. The coloration is varied, being noticeably lighter around the center of the body and darker toward the base.

• Africa
• Sculpture
• Alt Text Accessible

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