Figural carved dance staff "khuluor"
Click here to view a larger version of the imageLot: 176
89th Tribal Art AuctionFigural carved dance staff "khuluor"
Burkina Faso, Lobi
Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
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H: 25 inch | This object is not available anymore. |
wood, base
Figurative staffs were once carried in dance. Today the practice has all but ended. They also served as protective devices to insure safety when travelling outside the home or the village area. Beyond that safe zone, all is fraught with danger from alien "koteé" spirits. The carved figures are called "dàgol", personal protective spirits to ward off malevolent spirits.
Robbins, Warren M. & Nancy Ingram Nooter, African Art in American Collections, o.O. 1989, p. 564, ill. 1564