Two dignitary staffs ·  R. D. Congo, Bakongo · ID: 3036606

Description

wood, light brown patina, one staff carved with four claws closed around a bowl, the other one with the head of a dog (?) with bare teeth, slightly dam., minor missing part and fissure (end of one of the staffs), metal base;
the king is sacred and the emblems of power participate in his sacredness. They have the shape of objects of common use, but they have been sacralized by a religious dignitary. They then become potent symbols of power and the seat of ancestor spirits who support the King’s authority.