Èsù Staff (Primary Title)
dance hook (Alternate Title)
Unknown (Artist)
Èsù, the messenger god, is an omnipresent force in the Yoruba world. If a person makes offerings to him, Èsù will communicate with the òrìsà (gods) on his or her behalf. But if he is not properly honored he becomes a trickster. Èsù is the activator of a person’s life force, enabling (or disabling) sight, intelligence, and awareness.
To send a message, Èsù sounds a flute, as he does in the carving on this staff. The second face, which represents Èsù’s dual nature and his presence in the spiritworld, appears at the tip of the arc projecting from his head. To carry this staff, a devotee would hook it over his or her shoulder, so that one face looks forward, the other back.
To send a message, Èsù sounds a flute, as he does in the carving on this staff. The second face, which represents Èsù’s dual nature and his presence in the spiritworld, appears at the tip of the arc projecting from his head. To carry this staff, a devotee would hook it over his or her shoulder, so that one face looks forward, the other back.
Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Fund
Look Here: Speed, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA, September 6, 2006 - January 7, 2007; Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, Hollins University, Roanoke, VA, October 7, 2007 - January 5, 2008
Spirit of the Motherland, Museum of Western Virginia, Roanoke, VA, September 1995- January 1996; Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA, January - May 1996
Spirit of the Motherland, Museum of Western Virginia, Roanoke, VA, September 1995- January 1996; Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA, January - May 1996
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
