Beaded Crocodile Diviner Panel Yoruba Nigeria African

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Beaded Crocodile Diviner Panel Yoruba Nigeria African:
$99.00

TitleBeaded Crocodile Diviner Panel Yoruba Nigeria AfricanType of ObjectBeaded textileCountry of fabric,Â glass beads, cowrie shells, glueApproximate AgeContemporaryDimensions52 inches L. x 10 inches W.Overall ConditionGood. Most ofÂ our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners. Â Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.Â We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.Â Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.Damage/Repairstains in places

Additional Information:

The panel in the form of a crocodile is embellished with motifs in human faces, bird, and lizards . These symbols are commonly found in Yoruba imagery and visual arts.

Among the Yoruba, beadwork is the province of the Ife diviner, something akin to a priest. Beadwork pieces like this one were worn around the neck of the diviner. In the complex beaded patterns symbol and abstract patterns interact in a play of color and design. Human faces and Elephant are the main designs on this panel. The cowrie shells attached along the edges were a form of currency in the past and would also be used during Ifa divination and the color white is ritually significant among the Yoruba. The crocodile may make reference to the orisha Olokun, deity of the river and the sea from whom wealth comes (the early Europeans brought their goods upstream in ships therefore wealth and goods came from the ocean!).

Recommended Reading: YORUBA BEADWORK and BEADS BODY AND SOUL-ART AND LIGHT IN THE YORUBA UNIVERSE by Drewal and Mason.

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All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006

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