Rattle staff "ukhurhe"
Nigeria, Benin
Price
EUR 250
plus 27 % commission, VAT, transport and insurance
Provenance
Gerhard de Vos, Dormagen, GermanyHans Reinmöller, Ratingen, Germany (1996)
Size
H: 112 cm
H: 44.1 inch
Description
wood, base
Rattle staffs “ukhurhe” are part of the basic equipment of Benin ancestor altars. They are used to get into contact with the spiritual sphere.
After the fathers decease it is the task of the eldest son to order such a staff to be carved and to deposit it among the others on the ancestors shrine. In this way the deceased joins the community of the ancestors.