This staff of a dignitary originates, according to the style of its carvings, from the Congo (or Bakongo) in the region of the river mouth of the Congo. The present prestige staff, possibly used by a chief also as a ‘sceptre’, is made of hard wood and very decoratively carved with reliefs. It was probably originally dyed black and brown and is very worn in parts. A snake in relief winds its way around the staff from the bottom to the top, hunting a four-legged animal (a lizard?). In addition, the carving on the wooden staff displays five dik-dik horns (two of them broken off) and other projections. Furthermore, the staff has three decorative wrappings of copper wire.
A kneeling, male figure, with cap, bracelets and ankle rings, serves as the handle of this dignitary staff or ‘sceptre’. He kneels on a round ivory plinth, which is decorated on the outside with an encircling linear motif of triangles. The hilt, with man and plinth, is carved of one piece of ivory, and shows a very good, yellow-speckled, darkened, shiny, old usage patina. On the ivory part of the staff, no damage can be identified. The wooden part is well-worn through protracted use and shows no significant damage, with the exception of breakage to two carved little horns of the small dik-dik antelope and a short part of the serpentine winding of the snake. Length: 84 cm. First third of the 20th century. (ME) ASA

Provenance: Polish private collection.