All Shango's titled as "vintage" comes from a collection dating back to early to mid 1960's.

Among the Yoruba people of Nigeria an intricate combination of myth and religion explains history, categorizes natural phenomenon and establishes various deities. Led by deities known as “orishas” who form a complex religion with many different faces and an equally complex set of images.  This beautifully dance wand was carried by a female devotee of the Yoruba deity or orisha known as Shango who had been in the past the fourth King of Oyo-Ile.  He was also known as the “Thunder God” who caused lightening to flash and was responsible for the many early stone tools (era edun) found in the region which people believed fell to the earth when Shango cast lightening bolts downwards to earth.  The shape of the double-headed axe surmounting the wand represents these stones and the blue marks across the surface represents the local scarification of the region in which this dance wand was carved.  The fact that the figure holding the downward curving elements is a female shows that it was carried by a female devotee during annual festivals or on special other ritual days.   This symbolism is important in that it was the women devotees of Shango who sang praise songs known as oriki while making gestures portraying the violence of this particular Orisha. She at times is shown kneeling a traditional posture of supplication to the orisha.  This is an old and extraordinary carving and would become a centerpiece of a collection of the art of the Yoruba.

Measures: 22 X 8 1/2".  WE NO LONGER SHIP INTERNATIONAL, U.S.A ONLY!!

Material: wood.