Edjo (female figure of an ancestor)

She can push farther, bound higher, see deeper than us.

This powerful and potent female figure may represent an Urhobo edjo, or spirit—one manifestation of singular and collective forces that exist throughout the world. A Urhobo community may have several different kinds of edjos, although one may be recognized as the town’s primary spirit. Wood sculptures are the physical manifestations of these spirits. A single shrine building (oguan redjo) may contain a dozen carved edjo figures presided over by an elaborate hierarchy of titled priests and priestesses.
This figure is a vision of solidity and strength. She stands and faces forward, arms held rigid at her sides, and feet planted firmly on her base. Her chest swells with potential energy. She likely depicts the wife of the community’s warrior-founder. To that end, she is a portrait of accomplishment. She conveys the authority of having supported the founding of her community, of nurturing intellectual, creative, or even athletic achievement—indeed, of being perhaps capable of rather extraordinary feats at an earlier phase of her own life.