Rattle staff "ukhurhe" · Nigeria, Benin · ID: 3045665
not available anymore
Provenance
Alfred W. Angst, Aeugstertal-Zurich, SwitzerlandSize
H: 74 cm
H: 29.1 inch
Description
wood, pigments, base
The shafts of most rattle staffs are bamboo-like segmented, which goes back to the “ukurhe-okho” plant, from which ultimately derives the name of these staffs.
The rattling sound of the staff and accompanying incantations are intended to attract the attention of ancestral spirits.
Comparing literature
Ezra, Kate, Royal Art of Benin, New York 1992, p. 91 ff.