Unknown
Scepter19th-20th century

On view:

Geffen Galleries

Maker: Unknown
Title: Scepter
Culture: Yombe artist
Place Made: Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date Made: 19th-20th century
Medium: Ivory
Dimensions: Height: 11 1/2 in. (29 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Lee and Bob Bronson
Accession Number: AC1994.203.2
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: African Art
Curatorial Notes: A scepter is part of the customary regalia used by powerful Kongo chiefs. The chief’s staff is considered to be an nkisi, a vessel for supernatural power and force derived from ancestral spirits who legitimize his rule. It is reputed to cure sterility with its touch and protect the chief from malignant forces. This staff depicts a chief seated on a throne and chewing a bitter root that is believed to ward off danger and, at the same time, embody his soul. Carrying an elephant trumpet, he wears a tall cap, earrings, and a bell pendant on a braided neck cord. The artist’s masterful design fits the curved shape of the elephant tusk and leaves the top undecorated to receive a medicinal bundle, now lost. Scepters of this type include a secondary form on the lower portion, often a bound captive male figure. Here, it is rendered as a female and child, representing the frequent Yombe theme of maternity.

Related Unframed

On view:

Geffen Galleries

Maker: Unknown
Title: Scepter
Culture: Yombe artist
Place Made: Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date Made: 19th-20th century
Medium: Ivory
Dimensions: Height: 11 1/2 in. (29 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Lee and Bob Bronson
Accession Number: AC1994.203.2
Classification: Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area: African Art
Curatorial Notes: A scepter is part of the customary regalia used by powerful Kongo chiefs. The chief’s staff is considered to be an nkisi, a vessel for supernatural power and force derived from ancestral spirits who legitimize his rule. It is reputed to cure sterility with its touch and protect the chief from malignant forces. This staff depicts a chief seated on a throne and chewing a bitter root that is believed to ward off danger and, at the same time, embody his soul. Carrying an elephant trumpet, he wears a tall cap, earrings, and a bell pendant on a braided neck cord. The artist’s masterful design fits the curved shape of the elephant tusk and leaves the top undecorated to receive a medicinal bundle, now lost. Scepters of this type include a secondary form on the lower portion, often a bound captive male figure. Here, it is rendered as a female and child, representing the frequent Yombe theme of maternity.