Divination Implement
Unknown Artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
Medium
Wood, glass beads, and natural fiber
Dimensions
11.4 × 3.4 × 4.8 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Accession Number
2010.455
About this artwork
This device helped contact an ancestral spirit who clarified misfortunes. The diviner awakened the ancestor by anointing the rectangular frame of the figurine with pungent basil leaves. Sitting on a textured woven mat, the diviner held one side of the instrument while the client held the other. The diviner then posed questions to the ancestor who responded through certain movement signaling affirmation.