45 - Upper part of a walking stick

Upper part of a walking stick featuring a female figure, hands resting on her chest Wood, very old honey-colored patina from use, small chip on the side, signs of age. Vili, Republic of the Congo, probably 19th century. 23 x 3.9 cm At the top of the shaft, a female figure is depicted crouching on a cubic pedestal, her hands resting on her chest. Her slender neck and tiered headdress elongate her silhouette, while an engraved diamond-shaped pattern adorns her abdomen. In the Kongo region, figurative walking sticks were among the insignia of dignitaries. Female figures on these sticks could symbolize founding ancestors and the continuity of the lineage; the gesture of the hands resting on the chest here suggests fertility and the nurturing role of women. Documentary reference: University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, Staff, Kongo, inv. 2001/2.11, regarding the placement of ancestral female figures on dignitaries’ staffs.