RAND Tribal - Tanzanian figural staff

Figural staff, Tanzania
wood, pigment
48" tall
signs of age and use

$550

The shaft of this staff has a snake wrapping around it that is incised into the wood.

"Staffs had many functions, they were both status symbols and tools used by a wide range of specialists, such as
headmen, leaders of lineages or associations, diviners, healers, exorcists, and witch hunters, in a variety of ways.
Their form and iconography varied according to the ritualist to whom they belonged.” - Mwana Hiti by Marc L. Felix

For additional detail, click on any photo below to see the higher resolution version of the image.