YORUBA DIVINATION BOWL, EKITI/IGBOMINI AREA, NIGERIA

agere ifa, painted underneath in white with inventory number 3373.

Merton D. Simpson, New York
Nancy and Richard Bloch, Rancho Santa Fe, acquired from the above, 1970s

Good condition overall for an object of this age. Trapezoidal loss and age cracks through base as seen in photographs. Small crescent-shaped section of rim broken and glued. The bowl broken into several segments with evidence of native repair, and all original pieces remaining, now glued. Hairline cracks, chips, nicks and scratches throughout from traditional handling. The pupils of the horse and rider inserted with pegs of coconut wood. Exceptionally fine lustrous dark brown patina with kaolin.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present bowl is likely by the same hand as one in the collections of the National Museum, Lagos (Eyo, 1977, p. 177) and another in a private collection (Fagg 1982, plate 51).  Fagg and Pemberton note: "The ifa divination cup has provided Yoruba carvers with one of the most versatile objects with which to test their skill and imagination.  The cup must be able to hold the sixteen sacred palm nuts of Ifa [... and] be worthy of orisha Orunmila, the god who knows the destinies of all and who gave the palm nuts to mortals so that they might be able to communicate with him.

"The equestrian figure was often the subject of an agere Ifa... It was, and is, a subject worthy of Orunmila in its depiction of a life of power and restraint, courage and composure; and it required the utmost skill of the carver, if he were to avoid a caricature of the subject."