A finely carved wooden hand held staff with classiv image of a devotee to Sango in kneeling pose. and would have been used in the worship of the god of thunder and lightning, Sango, and representing his destructive power. This staff is known as an ose Sango staffs , which was carried by worshippers and followers as a sign of devotion to the god. Sango staffs are carved with a double-ax motif at the summit of a wooden shaft (to represent both his wrath and blessings). During annual Sango festivals, Sango possessed worshippers carry their individual ose Sango staffs as dance wands while singing Sango praise songs. When not being used, the staffs are used to decorate shrines dedicated to Sango. Yoruba peoples, Nigeria, West Africa. This staff measures 14 x 3 inches. Provenance: Ex Rosenbaum collection, New York.

Good, well handled