Yoruba Divination Bowl

This bowl belongs to the Ifa divination tradition of the Yoruba, where a priest, or babalawo, uses a bowl of this scale to hold the palm nuts used to determine the outcome of a reading. The acrobats carved into the form are not ornamental but part of a visual vocabulary, referencing themes of agility, balance, and the unexpected turns that shape human lives. A babalawo would have kept the bowl close to him during consultations, and the wear across the surface is often a direct record of years of use.