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)
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.
Primary Keywords
ceremonial staffs
figurines
staff
Rights
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Technical Details

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

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Manifest
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:2001-SL-2.47:2001_2.47.JPG

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"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.
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