African Arts Gallery

Anthromoporphe bust, eroded, cracked surface, old patina rubbed with ocher. Function undetermined.
In Togo, African fetishes are part of rituals following the intentions of their owner. Witch doctors, following the fa divination ritual using palm nuts, make them to order to offer protective and medicinal virtues but also offer more classic ready-to-use versions. The Ewe, often confused with the Minas, are the largest ethnic group in Togo. They are also found as minorities in Ghana, Benin, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. According to Hélène Joubert, the cults paid to the Yoruba gods, the orisha, and those of the Vodou gods, vodun, as well as their religious structure, are comparable in many respects. Slaves from different cultures further exported their practices to Cuba and Brazil. Although there is little historical information about the Ewe, it seems that their settlement in their current location was the result of invasions and conflicts that broke out during the 17th century.