An ancient and important voodoo stake statuette... - Lot 44 - Ader

An ancient and important voodoo stake statuette of bewitchment and control, possibly related to fertility, appearing to wear a headdress, and a small earthen pot attached to the front that contained medicines recommended by the fetishist, an important skull at the back, We note the presence of a padlock fixed on the side which allowed a wish or a spell to be opened and closed at will, but whose access was finally blocked by an imposing attachment which no longer allowed access to the padlock, the spell thus being definitively sealed. Fon, Benin Wood, rope, bone, gourd, fur, cowrie shells, cloth, clay, padlock, sacrificial patina, very beautiful and old patina of use. H. 43 cm Provenance : Anne and Jacques Kerchache Collection. Exhibition and publication : Voodoo Exhibition, Paris, Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, 2011, reproduced on pp. 148, 149, and 186.