Staff / Artist Unknown, African, Pende peoples Democratic Republic of the Congo
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 2001/2.47
- Title
- Staff
- Artist Nationality
- Congolese (Zairean)
- Medium and Support
- wood
- Object Creation Date
- 1900-1970
- Object Creation Place
- Africa (continent)
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Africa (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the (nation)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Margaret H. and Albert J. Coudron
- Inscription
- FC90_2 near bottom in white paint
- Dimensions
- 108.5 cm x 6 cm x 6 cm (42 11/16 in. x 2 3/8 in. x 2 3/8 in.)
- Century
- 20th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Costume and Costume Accessory
- Primary Object Type
- staff
- Secondary Object Classification
- Ritual Objects
- Secondary Object Type
- carving
- Physical Description
- Smooth staff, topped by a standing, slightly elongated, rectangular male figure with angular curves at the elbows and buttocks and the hands held in front of the stomach, just below the navel (the left arm is damaged). The big feet are carved as one piece, with small incisions for the individual toes.
- Subject Matter
- Carved staffs (called "mihango") have been made in abundance by the Pende peoples of the Kwilu River area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an area of intensive contacts between people of Pende, Lunda, and Chokwe backgrounds. These staffs, often topped by a human figure (as in this case) or a single head, were used by orators who acted as defense lawyers for the members of their lineage in case of disputes. When speaking, the orator would grasp the staff by the sculpture on top and plant it in the ground. The staffs would be left there until the judge had decided the case, which he did by rubbing white powder over the "winning" staff. Staffs were sometimes also sprinkled with goat's blood and palm wine by the winning party, but there is no evidence of that on this particular staff. Today, staffs are no longer used by Pende orators, because of religious concerns about the powerful spiritual qualities attributed to the staffs; however, Pende carvers continue to produce staffs, which are now being used as regalia by chiefs and rulers.
- Secondary Keywords
- ceremonial weapons
- objects
- objects we use
- sculpture
- sculpture by subject type
- statues
- visual works
- visual works by medium or technique
- weapons
- weapons and ammunition
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 842 x 1476
- File Size
- 80 KB
- Record
- 2001/2.47
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2001-sl-2.47/2001_2.47.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:2001-SL-2.47:2001_2.47.JPG
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- Full citation
-
"Staff; Artist Unknown, African, Pende peoples Democratic Republic of the Congo." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2001-sl-2.47/2001_2.47.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2024.