A Fine Ewe Figure – MAMI WATA – Togo

Carved wood with pigment. Height 56.0 cm (22.05 in); weight 1,512 g (53.33 oz).

Mami Wata is a water spirit venerated throughout West, Central, and Southern Africa, as well as within African diasporic communities in the Americas.

The sophisticated religious system of the Ewe people shares many features with those of neighboring groups, particularly the Fon. Traditional Ewe religion, often referred to as Vodun (or Voodoo), derives its name from a Fon term meaning “spirit.” In Ewe cosmology, Mawu is the creator deity, who brought into existence numerous lesser deities acting as spiritual intermediaries and forces influencing human destiny. This belief system closely parallels the Fon theology of Mawu and Lisa (female and male creator principles), which likewise remain largely removed from everyday human affairs. The lesser deities, by contrast, are believed to possess the power to grant favors or inflict harm.

A central concept in Ewe religion is Si, which implies a form of “spiritual marriage” between a devotee and a deity. This relationship is expressed linguistically through the use of a suffix attached to the deity’s name. For example, a Fofie‑si is a devotee who has pledged spiritual allegiance to the deity Fofie, in a bond comparable to marriage. Ancestral spirits also play a crucial role in Ewe religious life and are shared collectively within the clan.

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