Currency Staff

Possibly Fulani people, African

  • Titles Currency Staff (Descriptive)
  • Medium iron
  • Credit Line Collection of the Art Fund, Inc. at the Birmingham Museum of Art; Gift of Margaret and Bruce Alexander, AFI.111.2015
  • Object Name staff
  • Classification Information forms

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Wide, black vessel has narrower vertical cylindrical neck; body has crown motifs made from impressed points and neck has impressed points forming triangles.
Staff with snake-head finial
Helmet mask with glossy, black surface; coiffure of fine plaits close to the skull leading to thick braid rising from top of head. Prominent, domed forehead, slitted "cowrie shell" shaped eyes, small mouth, nose, and ears; three vertical scarification marks on each cheek. Two bulging rings around neck; base of mask pierced with multiple holes for attachment of fiber costume. Function: Worn by women of the Sande Society during initiation of girls into the society, and on other occasions; morphology of the mask reflects Mende ideals of feminine beauty and power.
Doll, Groblersdal, Ndebele people, Transvaal, South Africa, African, straw, glass bead, textile, yarn