For additional detail, click on any photo below to see the higher resolution version of the image.
For additional detail, click on any photo below to see the higher resolution version of the image.
Kwere staff, Tanzania
64" tall
Wood, pigment


$600

"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

Despite its appearance, I believe this object was made specifically for the collecting market as it shows no real signs of
age or use. For a similar, almost identical staff, see the example on page 282 in the book Mwana Hiti by Marc Felix.