Ceremonial staff "rekade" · Benin, Fon · ID: 3035775
sold
EUR 1,700
Provenance
Heinz Kolerski, Fellbach near Stuttgart, GermanySize
H: 60 cm
H: 23.6 inch
Description
wood, crowned with a dog’s head with open teeth-revealing mouth, the eyes inset with red glass beads, completely stud with metal sheet, min. dam.,
“rekades” developed from war axes. The “rekade” symbolizes the authority of its owner. The messenger of the king carried the veiled staff on his shoulder, first uncovering it in presence of the receiver of the message, in order to seal the dispatch.
Comparing literature
Robbins, Warren M. & Nancy Ingram Nooter, African Art in American Collections, o.O. 1989, p. 208