Ifa divination board, Yoruba people, Nigeria Wood Height with stand 28 cm The most essential implements of a Yoruba babalawo, or diviner, are his tray ("opon Ifa") and his tapper ("iroke Ifa"). To initiate a divination session, the babalawo sprinkles wood powder over the smooth inner surface of the tray and strikes the point of the tapper several times against it to invoke Orunmila, the Yoruba god of fate. As the sacred palm nuts are cast, the diviner records the results by marking the powder with his tapper. These markings reveal the proper chants to be recited. The more visually appealing the diviner’s tools, the more pleasing they are to Orunmila, and thus more effective in addressing the appeals of both the diviner and the client. The face carved on this tray's rim portrays Esu, the messenger who bears sacrifices to the gods and oversees the divination ritual. Other motifs include birds and a curled mudfish. The latter, which can survive on land or in water, symbolizes the diviner's ability to connect the human and spiritual realms. This magnificent, very old tray has a fantastic smooth, shiny patina on the top and a crusty patina on the underside. Provenance: collection Roland Hartmann, Germany This tray is mounted on a metal stand.