Top of a dignitary staff
Tanzanie, Kwere
Vendu
300 €
Provenance
Helmut Zake, Heidelberg, GermanyHarald & Ursula Suhr, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada / Germany (1982)
Taille
H: 23 cm
H: 9.1 inch
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.