At the time when the sacred waters of orisa Osun are taken in brass bowls from the river to the shrine, the priestess carries her fan as an insignia of office. As a mediator between this world and the "other world", the priestess is able to interpret messages from the river deity Osun to her suppliants in response to their questions. She is also in touch with spirits of nature, using these natural forces to help people in a variety of ways.

There are four vertical panels on this fan. The center panel on the right is composed of a row of five squares with concentric circles inside each with an embossed center. Next to this panel is one containing triangles placed at different angles, some criss-crossing, others connected at a point. The two panels on the outside show nearly identical lizards, with narrow limbs, bulbous bodies and small heads. These lizards seem from an antedeluvian age, of a primal past of myth and magic; and yet very modern in their stylized form of refined elegance.