A Janus-faced specimen with an unusual head crest. Light-colored rust and a faintly smoky smell.Probably 21st century. 28 inches tall.5.7 lbs. S003
Overview:
"Ofo" refers to a particular type ofwood-and-iron staff that is carried by Igbo elder men in southern Nigeria,including heads of families, heads of clans, leaders of villages, priests, andsome masqueraders. Ofos are generally inherited through the paternal lineage.
The ofo staff is a sacred symbol of truth, justice,law and authority. It plays a role in prayer, ritual sacrifice, contact ofspirit patrons, magical uses, naming ceremonies, determining calendars ofevents, affirming moral uprightness, sealing covenants, legitimizing states oroffice, decision making, settling disputes, taking oaths of administration, andpromulgating and enforcing laws.
Ofos serve as a symbol of power and authority for officeholders and titled men. Ofos represent the collective power of the ancestors,and the truths given by Chuku, the Creator. They invoke the link between the living,the dead, and those yet to be born.
Indigenous blacksmiths are typically the makers of thewood-and-iron ofos.
Forged iron elements on the faces of ofos aregenerally considered to represent scarifications, and are symbolic, but thereis no consensus as to the meaning of these symbols. There has been someconjecture that one or more of the elements may represent blacksmithing tools.
The ?halos? or aureoles surrounding the ofo heads areprobably a reference to the shape of indigenous hoes, which are reveredobjects.
Sources: Anthony-Claret Onwutalobi, Nancy Neaher Maas, Christopher I.Ejizu, Remi Houdart
Authenticity:
The wood-and-iron ofo staffs can be roughly divided into three categories:
Cult specimens: coveredwith sacrificial residues
Symbolic specimens:generally clean and free of deposits
Imitations: made for salerather than for indigenous use
Complicating the issue of authenticity is the fact that the ofotradition is still practiced in parts of Nigeria. Therefore, age per se is notnecessarily a reliable indicator of authenticity. It is difficult to knowwhether a recently-made ofo was produced for indigenous use or for non-indigenousconsumption. Furthermore, some ofos are prematurely aged in order to deceive apotential buyer. Many of these very convincing fakes come out of workshops inneighboring Cameroon. There is also a possibility that some vintage ofos havehad newer iron added to them, or conversely, that some newer ofos have hadolder, original iron placed on them. In either of these cases, the oldermaterial confers a degree of authenticity to the new hybrid. This is the bestcase scenario when newer materials are present. Otherwise, when newer materialis discerned, suspicion should naturally follow.
Pricing:
My prices are derived from my assessment of authenticity ornon-authenticity, artfulness, skillfulness, and size. In most cases, I am pricing my ofos as thoughthey might be fakes, because I cannot guarantee that they are not. I believe that some of them are authentic andsome of them are not, so a buyer should rely mostly on an ofo?s aestheticappeal in deciding whether or not to make a purchase. These ofos are all handmadein Western Africa, so at the very least they represent a longstanding indigenoustradition of wood carving and ironworking.
Shipping:
No shipping to locations outside of the United States.
A flat shipping rate has been estimated for each ofo. If the actual shipping cost is less, then arefund of the difference will be issued to the Buyer. If the actual shipping cost is more, theBuyer shall not be responsible for the difference.
Combined shipping is allowed and encouraged, since it will result in alower cost and less work.
Returns:
Sorry, no returns. This is a liquidation sale at liquidationprices.
