# Esu Dance Staff (Ogo Elegbara)

- By: Yoruba (Yoruba; Nigeria; Coastal West Africa)
- Date: Mid–late 19th century
- Medium: Wood
- Classification: Sculpture
- Dimensions: 49.6 × 17.8 × 22.9 cm (19 1/2 × 7 × 9 in.)
- Culture: Nigeria
- Credit line: Gift of Anne R. Whipple and Jay Whipple in memory of Anne's son, W. Philip McNulty III
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/117845)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/24cc2a5b-5032-1852-4050-497730707acf/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Adult profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

This dance staff for the deity Eshu depicts a warrior flanked by a bound captive and a nursing mother. This work was made during a turbulent period of civil war. The warrior’s cap is depicted as a crooked phallus, which is a symbol of Eshu—the divine messenger, facilitator, and provocateur—and allows for the staff to be hooked over the shoulder.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0