Kongo peoples, Mayombe region, Democratic Republic of the Congo
19th century
Ivory, wood, metal, ceramic
78.7 x 12.7 x 19 cm (31 x 5 x 7 1/2 in.)
2005-6-32, gift of Walt Disney World Co., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (cat. no. 79)
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This staff and finial convey numerous symbolic references to the ruler's political and spiritual powers and responsibilities. The kneeling woman holds a vessel as though formally offering the contents, perhaps palm wine or water, to a ruler or elder. The spheres on the staff correspond to the number of important events in the ruler's reign or the number of rulers in a community. The interlace patterns represent the unifying web of the community itself.
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