Ceremonial staff with long cylindrical haft, decoratively carved head with six wooden pointed projections and a leaf shaped iron finial. [SM (Verve) 12/05/2015]

Collection type: Object
Description: Ceremonial staff with long cylindrical haft, decoratively carved head with six wooden pointed projections and a leaf shaped iron finial. [SM (Verve) 12/05/2015]
Long description: Ceremonial staff with long cylindrical haft, decoratively carved head with six wooden pointed projections and a leaf shaped iron finial. The haft is decorated with a band of diamond-shaped and dotted decoration just above the butt. The butt is rounded. The head is elaborately carved with geometric designs. At the base of the head/top of the haft is a band of copper alloy sheet that is held in place with two iron nails. The edges of the copper alloy have a punched design. The iron finial is slotted into the top of the staff. It has another copper alloy band with punched decoration attached below it. The staff is carved from a single piece of wood with the exception of the sox pointed projections on the head. These are cared from separate pieces of wood and inserted into holes in the head. [SM (Verve) 12/05/2015]
Geographical reference: Algeria
Africa > Northern Africa > Algeria; Ighil Ali
Cultural groups: Kabyle Berber
Person: Field collector David Randall MacIver; PRM source David Randall MacIver
Date / Period: Date made: Before 1900
Date collected: 1900
Acquisition information: Donated: 1900
Materials and processes: Material Wood Plant, Material Iron Metal, Material Copper Alloy Metal, Process Carved, Process Forged (Metal), Process Nailed
Dimensions: Length: max 970 mm, Diameter: max 128 mm
Object numbers: Accession number: 1900.23.24

Search terms: Weapon, Ritual and Ceremonial, Staff

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