Ifa Divination Tapper c. 19th century

Editor: This intriguing object is a Yoruba Ifa Divination Tapper, carved from ivory around the 19th century. It's so smooth and detailed. The figure almost seems contained, formal. What can you tell me about it? Curator: The material itself is crucial here. Ivory, a precious substance obtained through trade networks linked to colonial exploitation, signifies power and wealth. Consider the labor involved in its carving – the carver's skill, the tools used. How does the act of transforming this valuable material into a ritual object change its meaning? Editor: It makes me think about who had access to it and how its use connects to trade networks and beliefs. Curator: Exactly! The means of production here reveals hierarchies of labor and ritual. The intricate carvings denote not just aesthetic skill, but also a deep understanding of Yoruba cosmology. Are we looking at an object of reverence or consumption? How might its circulation as art affect its ritual meaning? Editor: So, the sculpture's existence is deeply embedded in trade, colonial power structures, and religious practices all at once? Curator: Precisely! This object collapses traditional boundaries. Is it art, craft, ritual implement, or a commodity? Understanding its material history gives insight to Yoruba culture. It also questions art as a purely aesthetic category separate from economics and social power. Editor: I've never considered those connections so explicitly when thinking about art before, but I'll start now. Thanks. Curator: Focusing on the material and the conditions of production opens new avenues of interpretation, prompting questions beyond formal aesthetics.