Yoruba Opon Igede Ifa Divination Box, Nigeria PROVENANCE

Yoruba Opon Igede Ifa Divination Box, Nigeria PROVENANCE Very unusual shape: a square divination tray on a round box. The tray with a border of carved animals.  1st half 20th century The Yoruba typically turn to a babalawo (diviner) when seeking advice or faced with an illness. An agere Ifa is a object that forms part of the divination ensemble. It, along with an iroke Ifa, opon Ifa, palm nuts and a number of other objects, are used to invoke the god Orunmila (also called Ifa, the god associated with wisdom, knowledge and divination) during divination processes. During the divination process, a set of 16 sacred divination palm nuts (ikin) is removed from an igede Ifa and placed in smaller divination cups (agere Ifa) where they are displayed and elevated by a variety of figures, both human and animal. The 16 sacred palm nuts (or a divination chain - opele Ifa) are shaken to reveal wisdom and communication from Orunmila. These verses (odu) are then transferred onto the dusted opon Ifa