Staff finial with seated woman

Carried by leaders of Kongo’s founding lineages, staffs of office remained symbols of legitimacy for high-ranking officials well into the twentieth century. When placed on or in the ground, they acted as effective conduits between earthly and ancestral realms. Finials carved in precious ivory were potent markers of status. This classic seated figure, with inlaid eyes gazing intensely forward, bares the filed teeth typical of an aristocratic woman. Repeated handling and applications of palm oil resulted in a rich, red patina.

To date, four ivory staff figures—liberally embellished with concentric circle motifs—have been attributed to a single nineteenth-century carver or workshop. Commonly found on chiefly insignia of this period, concentric circles have been interpreted by some as ancient cosmograms associated with the positions of the sun. They may also refer to protective designs painted on the bodies of Kongo chiefs and other dignitaries during enthronement rites. In addition to bearing these markings on their brows, temples, and abdomens, the androgynous figures associated with this workshop wear sleek, striated coiffures and prominent bead-and-cowrie-shell necklaces.