Dance staff for Èṣù (Ògò Èlẹ́gba), 1800s. Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker. Wood, leather, cowrie shells, seeds, and natural fiber; 62 cm (24 7/16 in.). Èù (also called Èlgba) embodies the most complex deity in the Yorùbá pantheon of gods. The messenger of the Yorùbá gods, Èù is also the bearer of sacrifices, guardian of the ritual way of life, and is associated with highly significant places including crossroads, markets, and home entrances. As seen here, Èù's power is often visually represented in Ògò Èlgba (dance staffs); in this example, the unusual paired man and woman reference his ability to switch between the two genders, turn death into life (through childbirth), and to overcome the tension between the sexes. The male character bears a ritual flute reserved for this god. The abundance of cowrie shells means that Èù brings wealth.