Necklace (Odigba Ifa)
Yoruba
1875–1925
- Medium
- Glass beads, cloth, and leather
- Dimensions
- fully extended: 113.7 × 28.3 × 3.9 cm (44 3/4 × 11 1/8 × 1 1/2 in.)
- Genre
- jewelry
- Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
Styles
Tags
leatherlongevityyorubajewelrybeading (process)divinationprosperitysacredmedicineafrican Artarts of AfricaCoastal West Africaclothritual objectscostumeglass beadsjewelry making
About
Wearing a beaded necklace like this one likens a Yoruba diviner (babalawo) to a king; accordingly, a diviner’s necklace and a king’s crown both require ritual actions. The beaded cylinders of the chain are made of wood from a sacred tree that is said to ensure longevity and prosperity. The flat pendants protecting the diviner’s neck and chest are filled with medicines and other ingredients with similar protective powers.
