Staff (Zulu), 19thcentury.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Wood, 109.2 x 11.4 x 6.3 cm.
Kevin and Anna Conru.
In the 19thand 20thcenturies, figurative and non-figurative staffs
and clubs were produced throughout southeast Africa. While
most were intended for chief use, they were made for a variety
of markets. Here, abstract or semi-abstract details are included,
along with horn-like projections. The style and iconography
evidenced here suggests that it was varied based on the region
of its origin.
It is obvious that cattle served as an important symbol of
wealth and fertility, and especially they helped people maintain
communication with royal ancestors. In contrast, they serve as
simple evidence of the artists’ skill to juxtapose shapes,
occasionally highlighted by additional metal-work.
Staff (Kwere), early 20thcentury.
Tanzania.
Wood, height: 142 cm.
Felix Collection.
Elaborate ceremonial occasions add to the rich culture of the
Kwere. Lineage elders, leaders of spiritual possession, diviners,
healers, or anti-witchcraft specialists preside over such rituals.
Likely used mainly in the context of male and female ritual rites,
figurative staff served to legitimate their special role and abilities.
Gourds filled with ritual substances were hung from the carved
hooks, and staff of this kind were planted in ceremonial ground
and was meant to consecrate it.
Staff (Nyamwezi).
Tanzania.
Wood, height: 97.5 cm.
Private collection.
Staffs in Africa serve various purposes, ranging from the obvious
use of walking-stick to more superior roles of spiritual, political, or
prestigious matters. On occasion, they also communicated specific
messages through their iconography, serving as documents meant
to be understood as narratives. The complexity of the staff
correlates directly with the specialisation of its use.
This particular Nyamwezi staff most likely served as a
prestigious emblem of a local staff. The artist deserves a lot of
credit for the integrity of its form as both a support for the body,
as well as a statement of rank. The facial features, which are
finely paired, strong, and enhanced by small pierced patterns
which indicate hair and a beard, add to the artistic harmony of
the staff’s structure and delicacy. The arms along the side and
notched shoulders rendered in relief are characteristic of its
understated refinement.