Yoruba peoples, Oyo region, Irawo village, Nigeria
Late 19th to early 20th century
Staff: iron, wood
152.4 x 9 x 9 cm (60 x 3 9/16 x 3 9/16 in.)
Sheath: glass beads, cloth, wood,
133 x 35.2 x 11.6 cm (52 3/8 x 13 7/8 x 4 9/16 in.)
2005-6-71.1, 2005-6-71.2, gift of Walt Disney World Co., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (cat. no. 68)
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Orisha Oko is one of the principal deities among the Yoruba. Associated with the fertility of farms, he also has the power to aid in childbirth, restore people to health using herbal medicines and protect devotees against witchcraft.
Blacksmiths of Irawo, forge his staff emblem from iron hoes provided by the client who wishes to found an Orisha Oko shrine. This reworking of the iron results in a finer metal. Although Orisha Oko was never a king, his staff is dressed as one. If the person can afford it, the staff may be stored and protected in a cotton sheath covered with European glass beads.
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