Divination tray, mid 20th century, 9 x 10 1/2 x 10 in. ( x x cm), Wood, Nigeria, 20th century, Who doesn’t need help now and then deciding which way to go in life' The Yoruba people developed a complex system of divination (foretelling), called ifa, which relies on an extensive and constantly growing body of chanted texts. To determine which of the hundreds of verses are relevant to the case at hand, the diviner performs ifa using several instruments: a tapper to summon Orunmila, the divinity of wisdom, knowledge, and divination; a carved tray to be covered with a layer of dust


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Photo credit: © Penta Springs / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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