GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Although the legendary deity Shango was a military general and master horseman who owned a stable of 10,000 horses, this horse and rider figure is not a portrait of Shango but rather a symbolic image of Yoruba mythology and religious practice. Shango is said to "mount" favored devotees during a worship service; the devotee enters an entranced state, and Shango controls their actions. The horse is also a symbol of lightning, Shango's weapon, and the concept that the power of words is equal to the strength and speed of a horse.
The sculpture was placed on an altar in a shrine dedicated to Shango but may also have been used in Ifa divination. Because it was carved out of precious ivory rather than wood, the sculpture was probably owned by a Yoruba king or a very successful Ifa babalawo (diviner).
Excerpt from
Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, Arts of Africa, 2015.
NOTES
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PROVENANCE
1994: Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., purchased from L & R Entwistle and Company Ltd. (Lance and Roberta Entwistle), London [1]
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is the invoice from L & R Entwistle and Co. Ltd. to the Dallas Museum of Art dated November 23, 1994, in collections records object file.
[1] Works of art given or purchased by The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., a non-profit organization, are placed in the custody of the DMA for the purpose of public display on the premises of the Museum or in other recognized art galleries or museums. The title to all works of art purchased (or otherwise acquired) by the McDermott Art Fund remains with the Fund.
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apply to objects where number equals 1994.197.McD
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General Description
Although the legendary deity Shango was a military general and master horseman who owned a stable of 10,000 horses, this horse and rider figure is not a portrait of Shango but rather a symbolic image of Yoruba mythology and religious practice. Shango is said to "mount" favored devotees during a worship service; the devotee enters an entranced state, and Shango controls their actions. The horse is also a symbol of lightning, Shango's weapon, and the concept that the power of words is equal to the strength and speed of a horse.
The sculpture was placed on an altar in a shrine dedicated to Shango but may also have been used in Ifa divination. Because it was carved out of precious ivory rather than wood, the sculpture was probably owned by a Yoruba king or a very successful Ifa babalawo (diviner).
Excerpt from
Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, Arts of Africa, 2015.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
1994: Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., purchased from L & R Entwistle and Company Ltd. (Lance and Roberta Entwistle), London [1]
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is the invoice from L & R Entwistle and Co. Ltd. to the Dallas Museum of Art dated November 23, 1994, in collections records object file.
[1] Works of art given or purchased by The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., a non-profit organization, are placed in the custody of the DMA for the purpose of public display on the premises of the Museum or in other recognized art galleries or museums. The title to all works of art purchased (or otherwise acquired) by the McDermott Art Fund remains with the Fund.
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1994.197.McD
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object_notes_3_a-0521.xml.nores