A wonderfully carved and lightly used Yoruba divination board from Nigeria. Circa 1950. 
 
Provenance
Zbyszek Plocki Collection, London
 
Used by high priest to communicate with deities the figure carved at the top is the Eshu messenger in the Yoruba religion, known as the spirit of crossroads, communication, and chance, serving as a vital link between humans and the Orishas (gods). The animals represented are animals capable of moving between the three terrains of land, air and water such as crocodiles, frogs or birds. These animals represent the movement and communication between the mortal world and other realms. 
 
In 2005, UNESCO added the Yoruba divination system to its list of ‘Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’.