Staff god

18th–early 19th century

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Ancestral figures and flying foxes descend the central arm of this boldly carved ritual staff god from the Cook Islands. Their sequence, emphasized by the careful notching of the central figure’s spine, reinforces the close genealogical relationship between humans, their gods, and the natural world. Tightly bound with huge bolts of barkcloth when not in use, these staff gods were ritually activated when unwrapped by chiefs and priests during ceremonial rites.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Staff god
Date: 18th–early 19th century
Geography: Cook Islands
Medium: Wood (toa)
Dimensions: H. 33 1/2 × W. 5 1/4 × D. 2 3/4 in. (85.1 × 13.3 × 7 cm)
Classification: Wood-Sculpture
Credit Line: Private collection, Gordon Sze
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing