Oracle figure "kafigelejo" ("kafigeledio")
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92nd Tribal Art AuctionOracle figure "kafigelejo" ("kafigeledio")
Côte d'Ivoire, Senufo
Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
---|---|---|
Marshall Ward Mount, Jersey City, NJ / New York City, NY, USA | H: 19.9 inch / 27 inch (with arms) | This object is not available anymore. |
wood, coarse cotton, thick encrusted patina / sacrificial traces, collection number "214", base
The "kafigelejo" represents a dreaded spiritual being, said to have awesome forces in judging, punishing and imposing bad evil.
The missionary P. Knorps reported in 1923 that "kafigelejo" was a kind of clairvoyant who could expose guilty parties. Offenses were for example theft, adultery or immoral behavior. The fetish was kept in a hut, to which only the village chief, the sorcerer and few trustworthy persons had access.
Burkhard, Gottschalk, Senufo - Unbekannte Schätze aus privaten Sammlungen, Düsseldorf 2009, p. 204 ff.
Förster, Till, Die Kunst der Senufo aus Schweizer Sammlungen, Zürich 1988, p. 95