Staff / Artist Unknown, African, Kongo peoples Democratic Republic of the Congo
Viewer
About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 2001/2.64
- 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
- FX980955 near bottom in white paint
- Dimensions
- 70.5 cm x 5 cm x 4.5 cm (27 3/4 in. x 1 15/16 in. x 1 3/4 in.)
- Primary Object Classification
- Costume and Costume Accessory
- Primary Object Type
- staff
- Secondary Object Classification
- Ritual Objects
- Secondary Object Type
- carving
- Physical Description
- Short stick with a dark shiny patina, topped by a standing, male figure, wearing a European-style suit and brimmed hat, carrying a small box in his hands; followed by a standing female figure, unclothed, carrying a child on her back. Below are smaller figures, on either side respectively: a keeling figure, a turtle, and a bird; a brid, a turtle, a ram's horn and an ornamental motif, possibly a cross.
- Subject Matter
- Among the Kongo peoples, carved staffs (often--unlike here-- topped by ivory carvings) conveyed the ruler's political and spiritual powers and responsibilities. At the height of the Kongo kingdom, rulers used staffs known as "mvwala" that drew on the power of the earth and the ancestors to aid them in governing. In the 19th and 20th centuries, staffs were being produced for a much wider audience, including European traders and colonial officials. Simultaneously, the iconography of the staffs is adapted to include foreign motifs, such as the European-style formal attire worn by the male figure on top of this staff.
- 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
- 648 x 1364
- File Size
- 80 KB
- Record
- 2001/2.64
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2001-sl-2.64/2001_2.64.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:2001-SL-2.64:2001_2.64.JPG
Cite this Item
View the Help Guide for more information.
- Full citation
-
"Staff; Artist Unknown, African, Kongo 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-2.64/2001_2.64.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 09, 2024.
