Mid 20th Century circa.
Former Massimo Bargna Collection
Description:
Altars dedicated to Shango, god of thunder, were used in temples to place the gourd or wooden bowl containing the sacred stones collected by the priests where a thunderbolt fell. The base is concave because they are shaped like an inverted mortar, for just as the woman pulverises the yam in the mortar, so Shango chastises his enemies by incinerating them with lightning. The altar is upturned because an empty mortar has the power to attract the lightning, while the upside-down one leads back to the idea of containing the destructive force.This example of ‘Odo Shango’ is notable for its large size, the richness of the decoration, the beauty of the carving and the precious patina of use evident particularly on the top. The dominant character is the priestess of the cult who displays the emblems of Shango, the rattle and the two-handed axe that the deity hurls at the earth during thunderstorms, producing thunder. On the back of the altar appears a drum player balancing on the glowing stones of the thunder god’s axe. His figure is surrounded by numerous characters and ritual objects that refer to Shango and his cult, including: the face of a priest, Shango’s dog, a rattle, a hunter with a rifle, a leopard, a tortoise, lizards and a snake whose zig-zag line alludes to the flash of lightning. Red, blue and white traces of symbolic meaning.
CODE: OGANOG0257504
Dimensions: h 42 cm, diam. 40 cm
Historical Stylistic Analysis:
Shango is the fearsome god of thunder and lightning, one of the protgonists of the pantheon of the Yoruba ethnic group of Nigeria on the west. It is no coincidence that his evocative cult spread strongly to Cuba and Brazil in the wake of the slave trade. Shango is an orisha (deified ancestor) who embodies the ambivalent nature of power, which, when unchecked, becomes destructive, but when brought back into balance, is fruitful and can be used for the benefit of men. This is true for all individuals, but particularly for the king who has great power and responsibility. Shango was in fact a legendary ruler of the ancient city of Oyo who, brave as he was, was cast out for his misconduct and, having fallen into ruin, committed suicide. Following his death, he took revenge through storms and fires, so that to appease his wrath his faithful friends deified him and began to worship him. The purpose of this cult and the sacrificial offerings was to bring the Ashe power of lightning (colour red) back to equilbrium (symbolised by the colour indigo blue) through mystical calm (white). The Odo Shango altars serve precisely this purpose, to restore the broken balance and to positively channel the destructive forces threatening the community.
Published on:
“Letterature dell’Africa”, ordine iconografico di Massimo Bargna, Enciclopedia tematica aperta Jaca Book, Ed. Jaca Book, Milano, 1994, tav. 46/47.
Bibliography:
“Yoruba. Art and aesthetics”, Rowland Abiodun, Henry John Drewal and John Pemberton III, Ed. The center for African art e the Rietberg Museum, Zurich.
“Yoruba. Nine centuries of African art and thought”, Henry John Drewal, John Pemberton III and Rowland Abiodun, Ed. The Center for African Art in association con Harry N. Abrams Inc., New York, 1989.
“Yoruba”. Sculpture of West Africa”, William Fagg, John Pemberton III, Ed. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1982.
- Shango altar (Odo Shango) in wood, Yoruba art (Nigeria)
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