Staff (Kibango)
Artist
Artist Unknown
Date20th century
MediumWood
Dimensions26 7/8 x 1 x 1 in. (68.3 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Mace Neufeld
Object numberGL.76.17.10
On View
Not on viewStaffs with anthropomorphic carvings, kibango, are emblems of leadership, though possession of these staffs is democratized in that a leader at any level of society may have one. A single head, such as seen here, represents the spirit of the king or chief. More elaborately carved staffs are texts that can be read from the top down and serve as political maps and mnemonic devices for court protocol and ancestral migrations. Consecrated by ritual specialists, these staffs may also be used in investiture rites, or to spiritually protect the owners, their homes and/or their journeys.Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, “Recent Acquisitions,” December 14, 1978-January 28, 1979.
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