Osanyin Staff (ọ̀pá Ọ̀sanyìn)

Artist Yorùbá artist

Dateearly 20th Century

MediumIron

Dimensions29 × 10 3/4 × 9 3/4 in. (73.7 × 27.3 × 24.8 cm)

ClassificationsMetal

Credit LineGift of Charlie Jones

Object number2020.5.2

On View

Not on view

Label TextThis iron staff (òpá) relates to healing the afflicted, including mental or physical illness. Usually crowned with a ring sporting various iron forms and a single form at the summit, it connects the spiritual and physical realms.

Staffs frequently take the shape of birds numbering between one and sixteen, with sixteen being the most powerful, as it is the number of Yorùbá kings and used frequently in divination practices. Sixteen also recalls the number of heads of Osanyin in ancient times, before his transfiguration.
ProvenanceCreated Nigeria, early 20th century. Dr. Stan Boehrer, 1960s; sold to Charlie Jones, Wilmington, NC, 2019; given to NCMA, 2020.
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection, Reimagined," October 7, 2022–April 28, 2025. Object Rights Statement

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