Staff
Revolving serpents on a stick
Ritual healers of the Zulu carry staffs as steadfast companions and as divining rods. Serpent staffs like this had a mesmerizing effect when handled carefully: drawing one's hands down the surface over the raised spirals caused it to revolve, making the staff appear to take on a life of its own. Extremely dense wood is chosen to carve such staffs, which are richly embellished with detailed loops of snake bodies. In South Africa, snakes are treated with respect-regarded as messengers who are able to move from beneath the ground where the ancestors lie, then find their way through air and water, as they move among the branches of trees and swim with ease.
Wood
80 1/2 in. (204.5 cm)
Diam.: 7 1/2 in.
Gift of Katherine White and the Boeing Company
81.17.1270
