Yoruba Shango Warrior on Horse Wood Figure Nigeria

This carved wooden figure represents a devotee of Shango, the powerful Yoruba orisha of thunder, lightning, fire, and justice. Shango was once a historical king who became deified, and his worship—over three centuries old—remains central to Yoruba spiritual life. Devotion may be inherited through family or arise through an individual spiritual calling.

The figure wears Shango’s signature double axe (oshe) atop the head, a symbol of lightning and of Shango’s dual nature as both creator and destroyer. The devotee stands with a staff and is positioned above a small animal, emphasizing power, control, and ritual performance. Such figures were used as dance wands carried during annual festivals, where performers enacted dramatic gestures to mimic lightning striking the earth and to honor the immense force of the thunder god.

Shango continues to be venerated across the African diaspora, including in Santería, Candomblé, and Vodou, where he is associated with strength, vitality, and divine justice.

Former repair in the base, in the bridle held in the warrior's hand, and various chips, cracks, and scrapes throughout. 

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