Double-Figured Divination Pendant - Senufo People, Ivory Coast

Acting on the advice of a village diviner, certain jewelry, including pendants like this, were worn to obtain forgiveness and protection. The figures, usually a pair, represent ancestors.

Referred to as yawiige in some Senufo languages, the ornaments are believed to help appease spirits according to their wishes as revealed through divination. Diviners themselves acquire similar ornaments from artists in the region to manage their own relationships with nature spirits. (Source, Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Dimensions: 3 1/4" H x 2" W x 1/8" D