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Pair of Ritual Staffs (ẹdan Ògbóni)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The chain connecting these two figures allows them to be worn in public by a member of the Ògbóni or Òṣùgbó association as authority emblems. The male on the right gives the association’s typical salute by clasping his left fist on the right one, while the female on the left holds her breasts as a sign of welcome and generosity. The use of copper alloy and iron expresses Ògbóni/Òṣùgbó's concerns with longevity and durability.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePair of Ritual Staffs (ẹdan Ògbóni), possibly 1800s. Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker. Copper alloy and iron; overall: 22 cm (8 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Drs. James, Gladys, Jay, Jeffrey, and Jamie Strain, 1996.403
