Object Description
Donor's Notes (Transcribed by Curator, Joachim Homann):
-Note Esu at top - protector from evil
-Ifá refers to the system of divination and the verses of the literary corpus known as the Odù Ifá. Yoruba religion and tradition identifies Orunmila as the Grand Priest, as he who revealed Oracle divinity to the world. Such is his association with the Oracle divinity; in some instances, the term "??rúnmìlà" is used interchangeably with Ifá. The (opon Ifa) or tray and (iroke Ifa) or tapper are used in Ifa divination, a central ritual within Ifa tradition. This tray, adorned with carved images and dusted with powder, serves as the template on which sacred signs (odu) related to the personal concerns of a diviner's client are traced as the point of departure for analysis.