As one of the 4 capitalized altars in the Fleming Museum’s “Spirited Things” exhibition, the Yoruba altar contains a deeper purpose that was orchestrated by the creator of the altar, Professor Matory of Duke University. Altars in all religions are sites of ritual communication where the boundary between the spiritual and tangible world is explored (Thompson, 1995, p. 50) However, altars are especially pertinent to the orisa tradition in West Africa because they enable practitioners to offer their devotion to specified deities.

Although varied colored objects on the altar suggest the reference of other orisa, the altar is chiefly dedicated to the river goddess Yemoja. The most prominent object on the altar is a Yemoja embodiment in a white calabash. The calabash contains cowrie shells, kola nuts, river stones, and a number of other pieces that pertain to the identity of Yemoja known as Yemoja Olowo Kan. This embodiment of Yemoja is most closely associated with ancient Yoruba land, such as the town of Osogbo. With this in mind, one purpose the altar serves is to express devotion to the goddess Yemoja because of her worth to the Yoruba.

Professor Matory is responsible for the orientation of the altar, therefore it can be said that this altar is authentic to him. Several photos are included on each side of the altar and their presence is telling of an emotional connection that the Professor has with the goddess Yemoja and the Yoruba. Upon asking the Professor about the photos, it was explained that the photos serve as a commemoration to remind him of his engagement with the people of Yemoja. This in turn evokes the relationships that the people have formed with the goddess to fulfill their dutiful obligations. The Professor also added that the altar was his own Yemoja. His personality reflects the personality of Yemoja just as her personality reflects the personality of himself. These ideas contribute to an additional purpose of the Yoruba altar, a medium to acknowledge the elaborate relationship that the Professor has with the goddess Yemoja.