1932.76.27

Collection type

Object

Description

Staff made from iron and decorated with perforated designs and animal motifs. [SM (Verve) 13/05/2015]

Long description

Staff made from iron and decorated with perforated designs and animal motifs. With wooden ornament at one end carved with a bird and four chicks. The iron body of the staff is decorated with two iron scrolling shapes, possibly snakes which are riveted onto one side and incised cross-hatched designs. The body forks at one end and two large flat sections of iron are rivetted on. These are decorated with perforated squares, a cross shape an elephant and another mammal. An iron bird is riveted into the centre of these two sections with a rivet in each wing. [SM (Verve) 13/05/2015]

Geographical reference

Congo, Democratic Republic of

Africa > Central Africa > Congo, Democratic Republic of

Kasai River

Cultural groups

Songo

Person

Field collector Unknown Collector

PRM source James Thomas Hooper

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1932

Date collected

By 1932

Acquisition information

Purchased: 07/1932 Found unentered: Unknown date, uncertain

Materials and processes

Material Iron Metal, Material Wood Plant, Process Forged (Metal), Process Carved, Process Riveted, Process Perforated, Process Incised

Dimensions

Depth: max 61 mm, Width: max 375 mm, Length: max 1260 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1932.76.27

Associated publications

Listed as number 18 on page 6 of Art from the Guinea Coast (Pitt Rivers Museum, Illustrated Catalogue No. 1), Oxford: Pitt Rivers Museum (1965): 'GHANA. 18. Ceremonial sword, the hilt in the form of a hen with chicks. Ashanti (1932.76.27) (125 cm.)'. (For details of exhibition, see under 'Display History'.) [JC 12 9 2013]

Search terms: Religion, Ritual and Ceremonial, Status, Insignia, Figure, Staff, Religious Object, Status Object, Ceremonial Object, Bird Figure, Animal Figure