Dignitary Cane. Baule-côte d'Ivoire. Gold Leaf
Dignitary cane - Baoule - Ivory Coast - Regalia objectsSome objects (batons of power, scepters, fly swatters, etc.) are exclusive attributes of the office of chief or king, a set of objects known as regalia. They are the material symbols of the chief's power.
Sticks of command or scepters have always been the insignia of African kings. In some cases, they may also have played the role of phallic symbols evoking notions of power and fertility, in association with kingship.
The scepter was so important as a symbol of royal power, that even when it was not in the hands of the sovereign, it was accorded the respect due to the chief.
It could also, as with the Luba, remain hidden and only appear in exceptional circumstances: thus, to mark a victory, the chief's first wife would plant it in the middle of the victims' bodies, affirming and materializing the community's identity. From "Objets Africains" by Laure Meyer, page 169.
Material, wood covered with gold leaf.
Ex collection Galerie Walu Zurich
Sticks of command or scepters have always been the insignia of African kings. In some cases, they may also have played the role of phallic symbols evoking notions of power and fertility, in association with kingship.
The scepter was so important as a symbol of royal power, that even when it was not in the hands of the sovereign, it was accorded the respect due to the chief.
It could also, as with the Luba, remain hidden and only appear in exceptional circumstances: thus, to mark a victory, the chief's first wife would plant it in the middle of the victims' bodies, affirming and materializing the community's identity. From "Objets Africains" by Laure Meyer, page 169.
Material, wood covered with gold leaf.
Ex collection Galerie Walu Zurich
2 000 €
Period: 19th century
Style: Tribal Art
Condition: Condition of use
Material: Gold
Length: 65 cm
Height: 65
Reference (ID): 1738147
Availability: In stock
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