17.78 cm tall, 5.08 cm diameter base
(centimeters)
7" tall, 2" diameter base
(inches)
These ààjà are made of brass, and their yellow or golden color is frequently found in objects consecrated to Ọ̀ṣun. The figures atop the bells are distinctly feminine, and wear the agogo hair style, along with having very large ears. Ọ̀ṣun loves children and takes care of them, and these feminine figures indicate her fondness for them. For example, her large ears enable her to hear the crying of children and of her worshipers generally. Each figure bears a baby on its back (not pictured); one has a cloth sling (ọ̀já) holding the baby, while the other has no cloth sling. One of the babies is round-headed, and the other square-headed; the figure with a square-headed baby has a prominently visible vagina, perhaps emphasizing her motherly, feminine qualities.
Contact
Sacred Arts of the Black Atlantic Project, Duke University
Box 90091
Durham, NC 27708
Email
jm217@duke.edu