Eshu? Gesundheit!

It’s always a pleasure when a really artistic LEGO build comes along. This sculpture of the Nigerian trickster Eshu by Buttloaf Builds is a really elegant take on the subject matter. Let’s start off by talking about those wire-thin limbs. Those are made from LEGO flex tubing, joined up to larger animal tail elements. Small bits of larger gauge silver flex tube and Technic bushings form jewelry, creating a visual break for those thin lines. I suspect there’s some photographic trickery going on to make this sculpture stand upright…or maybe it’s just divine intervention.

Eshu

But as cool as those limbs are, Eshu’s face is even more impressive. A mix of Bionicle and System parts in sharply contrasting colors draw the viewer in. I’m particularly impressed with the creation of eyes from the negative space between sets of horn elements. And check out that necklace of Technic gears. There’s just enough curve in the construction there to create a very organic feel.

Eshu

And the curves don’t stop there. Seen from the rear, you can really appreciate the work that went into shaping the headpiece. I’m not sure if it reminds me more of a ram’s horn or a xenomorph skull.

Eshu

Questionable name or not, I think we’ll be seeing more creations from Buttloaf Builds in the future.

3 comments on “Eshu? Gesundheit!

  1. Håkan

    Hmm, he is named “Oshira” on the Flickr entry, although that could be a mixup with “Orisha”, which apparently is a Yoruba word meaning “spirit” or “god”.

  2. Chris Doyle Post author

    @Håkan – The actual image is titled “Eshu”, so that’s what I went with here. The first line of the wiki page has “Eshu (Yoruba: Èṣù, also known as Echú, Exu or Exú) is an Orisha “, with the link to Orisha describing that term as a type of spirit. So I think the other title would be apt as well, but not as specific? Maybe? I dunno.

    It’s a beautiful sculpture even if I don’t fully grok the history behind it.

  3. Håkan

    Ah, yeah. I read this quote, although “Oshira” here might not necessarily be a name…

    “I saw the trickster Oshira once, walking astride the Harmattan wind. I froze, but breathed with relief when I saw that his business was not with me.”

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