Staff

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Culture Kongo

Title Staff

Date Unknown

Medium Wood, brass nails, and and stone

Dimensions Object: 47 3/8 × 2 × 2 in. (120.3 × 5.1 × 5.1 cm)
Overall: 47 3/8 × 2 × 2 in. (120.3 × 5.1 × 5.1 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 76.1.1

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About this Work

A staff such as this is one of the symbols of leadership traditionally given a Kongo chief at his investiture, and, if he lent it to a delegate, that delegate was supposed to be accorded the same obedience and respect that the chief himself would receive. The figure at the top of the staff likely depicts a chief. He sits cross-legged, hand to face, a pose associated with contemplation, circumspection, and careful listening, all qualities important in a good leader.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Staff | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=76.1.1