Catalogue card: Stave (Oxua of Ena) with elaborate puzzle-carving terminating in obscurely-shaped finial.
Labelled 'Thomas Colln, S. Nigeria 1910-13, 2234.332'
Short carved wooden staff with central rattle section and an abstract finial above. The finial appears to represent an animal with two long ears or horns, and is decorated with incised chequer patterns. The rattle section in incised with geometric patterns and has three slits through which the rattle can be seen. Some insect damage is visible on the finial and there are a few chips missing.
Short carved wooden staff with central rattle section and an abstract finial above. The finial appears to represent an animal with two long ears or horns, and is decorated with incised chequer patterns. The rattle section in incised with geometric patterns and has three slits through which the rattle can be seen.
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.
Other/1
A selection of rattle staff collected by Northcote Thomas are shown together in Image 390447.