Dignitary staff ·  Angola, Ovimbundu · ID: 3032996

Description

wood, reddish brown patina, blackened in parts, abrus seeds, round staff, surmounted by a human head with facial scarifications and a long plait, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion, on base;
staffs are multi-functional. They are called title, ritual or chief’s staff. They were, and in many areas still are, a status symbol, a distinguishing mark or tool, used by a wide range of ritual specialists, such as headman, diviners, healers, exorcists, and witch hunters, in a great variety of ways.