A very fine old carved wooden staff with female effigy on top, twisted form with serpent like design winding up the staff. The Figure on top is well carved and has a deep well handled surface patina. This staff is known as tefalipitya (meaning 'hoe-work-girl' among the central Senufo. The Yearly Champion cultivators win the staff as a symbol of pride, but also the staff itself is a symbol of the future reward of the most beautiful girl in the village as his wife. There is no greater honour for a Senufo man than to be known as "sambali". a title that stays with him until his death. Upon the death of a sambali, his tefalipitya staff is placed outside is home to guard his spirit. This is a very fine and rare old example. The staff measures 46.5 inches tall. The display stand shown was for photography purposes and is not a good fit. Provenance: Irwin Hersey collection , New York. (*old label on the back )

Good, well handled