Fetish head - Vaudou Voodoo - Ewe - Togo

Voodoo fetish head, Ewe culture, Togo. H.34cm

It is rare to find Voodoo cult objects that combine beauty and antiquity in such a way. This is an important object that must have seen and heard many things. It still seems animated by all the energies that have passed through it and around it. Fetishes are receptacles; they host the gods and serve as intermediaries. This work is imbued with a powerful and timeless force. Its gaze is piercing, seemingly in direct connection with the invisible worlds where Voodoo gods reign. The head is covered with a thick layer of offerings—shea butter, blood, alcohol, and other substances. Part of the head was attacked by xylophagous insects, revealing an unexpected and chaotic profile. Old, oxidized, and patinated nails are embedded in its chin. An ancient and authentic Voodoo cult object. Circa 1940.

This head was exhibited in 2011 at the Galerie l’Atelier, Toulouse, France. It is reproduced in the exhibition catalogue. A copy is provided with the object.

Provenance
Private collection, Paris.
M. Aguirregabiria, Argentan.
- P. Rodier, Montauban.