Tip of a divination tapper (iroke ifa)

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONThis sculptural fragment is the plain tip and head portion of a longer divination tapper. The tapper is used by a Yoruba diviner (called a babalawo) in conjunction with a divination tray to summon Orunmila, the god of wisdom and divination.WHERE WAS IT MADE?This was made in the southwest of Nigeria, where the Yoruba people live (indicated by the red circle on the map attached to this record.)HOW WAS IT MADE?This sculptural fragment was hand carved from a piece of bone.HOW WAS IT USED?Yoruba people traditionally seek advice from diviners (called babalawo) who in turn seek wisdom from Orunmila, the god of wisdom and divination. The spiritual world communicates with the diviner by way of the divination tray. (To see divination trays in the Johnson Museum’s collection, search for object numbers 84.012.002, 88.026.022, and 92.005.056 in the keyword search box.) In order to receive spiritual messages, the diviner spreads a thin layer of wood dust on the surface of the tray. The diviner gently strikes the tapper against the side of the divination board in order to call on Orunmila. This action, along with praise chants, inaugurates the divining session. The diviner then moves around in the dust either sixteen sacred palm nuts or a divining chain. The resulting pattern is interpreted in songs and tales, which the client applies to his or her particular problem.Although the tapper is used primarily to capture Orunmila’s attention, it is also occasionally used to make symbols on the tray, or to tap rhythms that correspond to the diviner’s movements.WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS?This is only the tip of a longer divination tapper. The full tapper may have featured a female nude body below the surviving head, and perhaps another full figure below the female. The top female figure on most divination tappers typically holds her breasts and kneels in an act of humility.