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...
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 worlds", 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.
A vertical line of embossed dots divides the fan in half. Two circles intersect the line and touch each other at the center. Semi-circles on opposite sides are joined to an embossed double row of dots around the edge. The imagery on priestess fans developed by way of tradition into its own distinctive set of symbols, signs and figurations. Nature is the central theme using birds, lizards and snakes as representatives of the animal world. Like a modern abstract painter, the artist who made this fan has pared down the traditional symbols to their most elemental form--creating a work which is immediate and refined.