Staff
| 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 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
Wooden staff with a natural dark patination that is carved with human and animal forms. The topmost carved figure is a seated male and the next major figure is a kneeling female figure who faces the opposite diection of the male figure.
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 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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Cite this page
"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