unknown Chokwe
Primary

Staff

19th century - 20th century

24.409 x 2.559 in. (62 x 6.5 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• African - Refers to the cultures of the continent of Africa, which is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea.
• Angolan - Style and culture of the people of Angola, a republic (formerly a Portuguese colony) in southwestern Africa.
• carvings - Refers to works executed by cutting a figure or design out of a solid material such as stone or wood. It typically refers to works that are relatively small in size, are part of a larger work, or are not considered art. For large and medium-sized three-dimensional works of art, use the broader term "sculpture" or another appropriate term.
• Central African - Styles and cultures from a wide region of Africa that straddles the Equator and is drained largely by the Congo River system.
• Chokwe - Refers to the culture of the Bantu-speaking people inhabiting the southern Congo and northeastern Angola. They comprise many aboriginal peoples and conquering groups of Lunda origin, and they speak a language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo languages. They are hunters or agriculturalists, depending upon which region they inhabit. They live primarily in woodland savanna and strips of rainforest along rivers.
• heads - Representations of the heads of humans, animals, or mythical or legendary beings.
• staffs - Long sticks carried in the hand for support in walking.
• wood - The principal tissue of trees and other plants that provides both strength and a means of conducting nutrients. Wood is one of the most versatile materials known.

This object is a member of the following portfolios: