Fa Ifa divinity oracle tray - Yoruba, Nigeria Rare bronze Fa Ifa divinity oracle tray, a common object in Vodoun cults and used for Fa oracles. The Fâ is not a god but an oracle, a means of divination and Vodoun geomancy. The Fâ is the mouthpiece of all the gods, who express themselves through it. It is the diviner, the Babalawo, "the father with the secret", who consults. He uses a tray adorned with small scenes, on whose headband always appears a representation of Esu. The Babalawo strikes the tray with a mallet or uses a bell; then he uses 16 palm nuts which he manipulates in his hands. Depending on the position of the nuts in his left hand, he inscribes signs in the powder placed on the tray. He then interprets the signs thanks to an important body of literature: the odu. 27 x 15 cm.