Null Venavi twin figures
Togo, 20th century, attributed to the Ewe ethnic group,…

Description

Venavi twin figures Togo, 20th century, attributed to the Ewe ethnic group, lightly carved hardwood, a pair of female figures on blackened bases, the Ewe people believe that twins have only one soul in common, when one of the two dies, a Venavi is made so that the soul has a place again and does not have to wander around, small loss of substance, h 21 cm each.

620

Venavi twin figures Togo, 20th century, attributed to the Ewe ethnic group, lightly carved hardwood, a pair of female figures on blackened bases, the Ewe people believe that twins have only one soul in common, when one of the two dies, a Venavi is made so that the soul has a place again and does not have to wander around, small loss of substance, h 21 cm each.

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Estim. 240 - 300 EUR

A pair of rare prayer figurines. Ewe, Togo. H 17.5 and 18 cm, made of gray-brownish terracotta with traces of sacrifice. The Ewe are an important ethnic group in southern Togo and the neighboring parts of Benin and Ghana with more than one million inhabitants in Togo alone. In addition to the figures called venavi, which are carved for deceased twins, and the well-known colon figures, they produce clay and terracotta figures for voodoo altars, mainly for Elegba, Mammi Wata and other Orishas, but also terracotta heads and half-figures that serve as altars for the ancestors. Praying figures such as those offered here are extremely rare. Like the finely modeled terracotta buffalo head found in the land of the Ewe and now in the possession of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the use of this pair, which can probably be attributed to the Gljdyi-Ewe, remains completely obscure for the time being. Intact. Provenance: Ex Galerie Dogon, Berlin, acquired in the 1980s.

Estim. 800 - 1 000 EUR

VODUN FETISH STATUE Togo Wood, textile H: 86 cm PLEASE NOTE THIS LOT IS NOT ON VIEW AT ST. STEPHEN'S GREEN. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR FURTHER INFORMATION NOTE Vodun is a West African religion practised by the Aja, Ewe, and Fon peoples in Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria. It revolves around vodun spirits governing the Earth, ranging from major deities to individual spirits in nature. Worship involves various rituals, songs, and practices, with emphasis on ancestor worship. The divine Creator, Mawu or Mahu, is depicted as a gentle and forgiving mother figure. Other vodun include Sakpata (Earth), Xêvioso (Thunder), and Legba, who facilitates communication between spirits and the living. Talismans called fetishes are believed to possess healing properties. Leadership roles include the Queen Mother and high priestesses, chosen by oracles to care for the community and receive spiritual instruction.

Two anthropomorphic pulleys in carved wood. Guro and Akan ethnic groups, Ivory Coast, 19th-20th century. Provenance: - Monique and Ismar Gosselin Collection, France.

Estim. 400 - 500 EUR

"VENAVI STATUETTE - Cult of twins EWE - TOGO - Wood, very fine patina - H. 21 cm Origin - Ancienne galerie NICAUD puis Collection privée (France) - DON J.B."

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