Zulu Maternity Staff

By the Baboon Master

19th Century

Galerie Ezakwantu is currently in possession of this important staff, which had been offered at the Bonham's New York November 2007 sale.

Bonham's wrote:  The "Baboon Master" is perhaps best known for his prestige staffs surmounted by carved baboons, however it is his compositions depicting men, women and occasionally maternities that are most sought after. This example has not been cut from the original staff as many have.

Prior to the auction, a blogger wrote;  Lot 2268, estimated at $20,000-$25,000 is a maternity staff by the "Baboon Master". The staff is complete (many are lacking the shafts as they were often removed for ease of transportation or were seen as dispensable when mounted). The staff has fairly extensive scratches and scrapes on one side, accounting for the low estimate.

The blogger made mention to a low estimate, in that he had paid a record price of  $72,000.00 for a staff by the Baboon Master a year earlier, at Sotheby's African Art New York sale. The exceptional staff depicted a baboon atop two half male figures, which as Bonham's pointed out was a better known, or far more common, composition.

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The staff measures 93 centimeters, or 36.5 inches.

 

The Baboon Master's identity is unknown. He lived in the 19th century and left for us his masterpiece carvings. The use of staffs was wide spread culturally throughout Southern Africa and was an important feature of ones dress and stature in the community.

 

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Page 73 of Asking for Eyes - The Visual Voice of Southeast Africa reads: Common to staffs by he Baboon Master is the tall and slender compact treatment of form and delicately carved facial features that barely protrude beyond the ovoid mass of the head. Although the babies wrapped around the mothers abdomens are given individual sculptural identity, points of contact and overlap between them and their mothers are used to strengthen the overall emphasis on gently pronounced swelling masses.

 

 

Contact the gallery if you would like to own this hugely important South African artefact.

 

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Zulu - Tsonga Authorative Staff

Circa 1900   

Images depicting circa 1900 Zulu / Tsonga Chiefs

Our staff measures 1.48 meters, which assures it was the property of an important Zulu chief or headman.  A snake is carved in relief. The position of the spiral allows the staff to spin upon itself when pirouetted by the owner, creating an eye catching effect.

The use of staffs was wide spread culturally throughout Southern Africa and was an important feature of ones dress and stature in the community.

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