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Ṣàngó Shrine Figure

Ṣàngó Shrine Figure

Currently unknown artist or artists (Yorùbá style)

This sculpture, intended for a Yorùbá shrine, represents a priestess of Ṣàngó, a deity associated with thunder and dynamic natural forces. She holds a lidded bowl resembling those used for kola nut offerings. The double axe suspended above her, an attribute of Ṣàngó, alludes to the trance state in which devotees become vessels for the divine.
Artist/Maker
Currently unknown artist or artists (Yorùbá style)
Title
Ṣàngó Shrine Figure
Date
Probably late 19th or early 20th century
Material & Process
Wood
Dimensions
12 3/4 x 3 5/8 x 4 in. Overall
Credit
Gift of Jeremiah H. Fogelson
Inventory No.
2000.9.9
Classification
Sculpture
Location
Nigeria

Related

28 March 2000, gifted by Jeremiah H. Fogelson (Springfield, OR) to the Elvehjem Museum of Art [now called Chazen Museum of Art]

  • Exhibition gallery guide, "Revealing Forms: African Art from the Elvehjem Collection." 2002.
  • Bridges, Nichole. "Inside-Out: Duality and Multiplicity in a Sango Priestess Figure." Bulletin/Biennial Report 1999-2001. Elvehjem Museum of Art ( 2001): 55-59. pp. 55-59

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

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Information about artworks presented here may not reflect the most current research. Chazen staff update records as new details emerge; please verify independently for scholarly use and notify us of any errors.