Catalogue card: Stave (Hueva of Esa) with elaborate puzzle-carving terminating in human figure holding spear and hooked knife.
Labelled 'Thomas Colln, S. Nigeria 1910-13, 2231.321'
Carved wooden staff with a central rattle section with a standing figure holding a spear and a sword at the top. The figure is wearing a cap, has scarification marks on the face and body and is holding a spear in one hand and a sword or knife in the other. The rattle section is incised with geometric patterns and has three slits through which the rattle can be seen. There are insect casings visible and cracks on the rear of the figure.
Carved wooden staff with a central rattle section with a standing figure holding a spear and a sword at the top. The figure is wearing a cap, has scarification marks on the face and body and is holding a spear in one hand and a sword or knife in the other. The rattle section is 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.