A fine ceremonial staff ''kpoman''

Description:

Baule, Ivory Coast
L. ca. 100 cm
Brass bronze, cast by the lost-wax process. A finely modelled staff with a tapering shaft, articulated at regular intervals with decorative elements featuring plaited band ornament. The terminal is surmounted by a standing male figure holding his long beard, wearing an ornamental chain around the waist.
From the collection of Helmut Zake (1918-1995), Heidelberg, German historian and founder of the Society for Ethnology and Tribal Art, inherited within the family