Yoruba, Nigeria - Wood - Height 28.5 cm - Late 19th - early 20th century - Private collection, Paris

Wooden statuette of the god Eshu, Height 28.5 cm

Late 19th - early 20th century - Private collection, Paris

Item worn during Eshu cult ceremonies. These statuettes came in pairs and often in fours, linked together by plant fibers or shells. Eshu is a deity of the Yoruba pantheon, a messenger between the spiritual and material worlds. He is also often associated with the role of guardian of the house, the village... It is to him that the first offerings are made to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Objects linked to the cult of Eshu, the ambiguous god who carries messages from men to the orisas - deities originating from West Africa, and more precisely from Yoruba religious traditions - are adorned with garlands of cowrie shells and various small objects (knives, spoons...).