A Fon/Vodoo sculpture, South-east Togo, blue pigments with several "thunder irons", signs of ritual use and age. In the context of Fon and other Vodun practices in Togo and Benin, “thunder-irons” are small iron implements incorporated into fetish sculptures, often representing supernatural potency or protective power. These objects are not purely decorative; their material, iron, is traditionally associated with strength, resilience, and the capacity to channel spiritual forces. In many cases, the irons serve as a conduit for the loa or spirits, enhancing the sculpture’s efficacy in rituals, whether for protection, cursing, or blessing. The visual form—sometimes abstract or phallic, sometimes geometric—can signify different aspects of power, aggression, or fertility depending on the local ritual context. The placement of the irons within the sculpture often marks points considered spiritually potent, aligning the object with cosmological or metaphysical principles of the Fon religion. Scholarly accounts emphasize that the function of these irons is less about representational imagery and more about activating or containing metaphysical energy, a common feature in West African iron-centered ritual art.