Eshu, the Trickster god. Yoruba peoples

Eshu, the Trickster god. Yoruba peoples. Eshu takes many forms, can appear as male or female, be a messenger, guardian of crossroads, and a mischievous troublemaker for those who fail to acknowledge him/her.

 Here, Eshu is made out of many strings of cowrie shells, which represented wealth. The object itself was originally a container for magical powder, with a carved rectangular box hidden underneath the shells. Both the shells and the powder gave this figure its value and power.

Courtesy Onikan Meseum,Lagos Nigeria.