Nigerian Diviner's Staff

The long staff is roughly wrought (hand-made) out of iron. There are two clusters of long, narrow cones attached along the shaft and another inverted cluster at the top, supporting a disk and a simple, abstracted bird form. A diviner is one who practices divination, the art or practice of foreseeing future events or obtaining secret knowledge through divine sources, omens or oracles. In southern Nigeria, distinctive wrought iron staffs used by healers and Ifa divination priests feature motifs that suggest a gathering of birds, which celebrate Osanyin, the god of herbal medicines. Osanyin guides the diviners' use of leaves in preparing medicine for clients. Diviners ... African Novel Study African Folk Tales 25-27 Fine Arts 18 Social Systems 16 History