Edjo statue (Urhobo).

Nigeria. Wood, pigment,

height: 212 cm.

 

 

Each Urhobo community has its own protective Edjo statue, which embodies natural spirits or those of the Eshe founding ancestors. The tall Urhobo statues embody Edjo natural spirits or Eshe founding ancestors, who were offered annual celebrations and sacrifices in sanctuaries. Each community has its own protective Edjo, who lives in the wild and can also be materialised by pieces of wood, metal, or clay. These statues carry medicines on their belts and have military attributes.