Top of a dignitary staff · Tanzania, Kwere · ID: 3033323
Harald & Ursula Suhr, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada / Germany (1982)
Description
wood, shiny brown patina, the eyes inset with white miniature glass beads, slight traces of abrasion, acrylic 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.
The object Top of a dignitary staff with the object ID 3033323 was last part of the auction 70th tribal art auction at September 8, 2012 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 181 achieved a sales price of EUR 300.
Here you will find more objects and interesting facts about African art.