Stave (Olokun) with elaborate puzzle-carving terminating in human figure holding an orb and sceptre
Labelled 'Thomas Colln, S. Nigeria 1910-13, 2237.291'
Wooden staff with rattle in central section and a human figure standing on top. The figure is holding a staff in one hand and an orb or ball in the other and has scarification marks on the forehead. The rattle section is carved with geometric patterns.
Wooden staff with rattle in central section and a human figure standing on top. The figure is holding a staff in one hand and an orb or ball in the other and has scarification marks on the forehead. The rattle section is carved with geometric patterns.
During the collections-based phase of the Museum Affordances Project 2018, photographs of some of these rattle staffs were shared on the project Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/reentanglements/).
In a comment on 01/10/2018, Adenike Cosgrove wrote: ' This looks to be an Edo ukhurhe rattle staff. You can read more about them here: https://www.imodara.com/.../nigeria-edo-ukhurhe-rattle.../'
These staffs (Z 20317 - Z 20342) appear to have been carved by the same hand, or in the same workshop and were collected by N.W. Thomas as a group. They are listed in Thomas' 1st catalogue (Doc.413) as entries 308-335, which are situated at the very back of the catalogue.