Sculpture as Objects of Divination among the Urhobo of the Niger Delta, Nigeria: An Overview
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18533/jah.v11i03.2226Keywords:
Urhobo, Sculpture, Divination, Objects, RitualAbstract
Among the Urhobo of the Niger Delta in Nigeria, divination is common practice. Visitors to shrines do so for divination purposes, although tourism and other factors can be important reasons too. Within the traditional mode, divination is an avenue for soliciting answers to questions that are seemingly beyond the seeker’s comprehension. Diviners are believed to have an ability to peep into the spirit realm, and to see what other humans cannot through a divination process. Within the shrine are ritual objects that seemingly facilitate the divination process. Among the Urhobo, these objects may consist of sculptures, installations, crafts, beads, shells, ornaments and several items relevant to the diviner’s work. This paper examines the role of sculpture in the shrine, and what influence they may have on the diviner and the divination process. The results may trigger a re-thinking of sculpture as objects of divination in contemporary art discourse.
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