Top of a dignitary staff ·  Tanzania, Kwere · ID: 3033323

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.