Eshu Shrine Figural Group from the Yoruba People; Nigeria, West Africa; Wood, Leather and Cowrie Shells; 20th C.; PRIMITIVE ID# A0602-372; $8,950

The magician in all of us!

Do you believe in magic? In Chapter 100 of the novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, author Tom Robbins says magic isn’t a fuzzy, fragile, abstract or ephemeral concept. He describes it as concrete and practical, a matter of cause and effect, implying magic is a force – energy, if you will – that can be secretly harnessed and controlled by a magician. He also says “magic can be made, wholly and willfully, from the most obvious and mundane,” a reference to magical acts and the ingredients used in their creation. Yet, he doesn’t say how magic is used, which in almost all cases is to modify or create reality; nor does he specify what kind of ingredients magicians might use – bringing us directly to this week’s New Arrival.

Detail of A0602-372 showing cowrie shell adornment symbolic of Eshu's power and energy

This week’s new Arrival features a figural group of statues depicting Eshu, a deity in the ancient African religion of Ifa. Known as the “Guardian of the Crossroads,” you might call Eshu the controller of paths and openings; maybe even the governor of manifestation. Eshu represents the energy needed to  create opportunities where none existed before and remove obstacles from their materialization; however, this energy isn’t exclusive to Ifa or Eshu. It is found in most beliefs. While Ifa Priests are very adept at accessing Eshu's energy using statues; this piece is more than a powerful attractant or work of African art. It is a reminder how each of us is a magician literally and figuratively creating the world we know.