Zulu Walking Stick For Comment

Tim Simmons · 17th March 2009, 08:50 PM

Hello Lew, I asume you will be looking here. I just ebayed this staff/stick which I believe is quite possibly Fon or Benin, certainly West African and high status. The the fist image is a potent symbol in West Africa. I hope to post better pics in the next few days. I could be very much deluded

I was the only bidder

Lew · 17th March 2009, 09:14 PM

Nice stick Tim.

What I find strange is that the shaft seems to be bamboo never saw an African stick made from it but you never know.

Lew

Tim Simmons · 17th March 2009, 09:20 PM

magnify this pic, some kind of grain? The seller says carved step down stick?

Tim Simmons · 18th March 2009, 08:36 AM

Extract from-
{The Continuum Encyclopedia of Native Art: Worldview, Symbolism and Culture in Africa, Oceania and North America}

Tim Simmons · 18th March 2009, 12:02 PM

Fist staff with mudfish and orginal context.
http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/fap/benin.htm

katana · 18th March 2009, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

magnify this pic, some kind of grain? The seller says carved step down stick?

Grain it is ....

Regards David

Tim Simmons · 20th March 2009, 06:45 PM

Well it is here now and rather nice. The hand is much finer than the old pictures show. There are two ivory bands and a turned section of horn, this horn does seen very similar to a slightly emotive type of horn. It is a really lovey made thing. The other end has a steel cap and as can be seem this has not been in contact with hard surfaces. I think it is clearly not of European manufacture and too subtle to be Indian so I am still of a mind that it is Benin quite possibly from a prestige workshop or guild.

Lew · 20th March 2009, 08:47 PM

Tim

It really does not strike me as African but it could be Asian or Philippine. Whatever it is I think it is quiet lovely and very finely crafted.
Congrats. Btw what is the shaft made of?

Lew

Tim Simmons · 21st March 2009, 11:30 AM

Sadly Lew I think you may be right that it is not African. It is perhaps a Buddhist thing the "mudra of the knowledge fist" and I now wonder if may come from Burma. The stick is wood carved possibly to look like bamboo, sections with edges cut at opposite angles which I try to show with these pics. The wood has also been lacquered not something I would associate with Africa, though all one would need is a bottle of gin and some tree resin to make a lacquer. I am sure the turned horn section is "R". Although I am dissapointed that it is probably south Asian it is quite nice and i like the idea of the fist of kniwledge, you learn something every day

Vajra Mudra

17th March 2009, 08:50 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,856	Hello Lew, I asume you will be looking here. I just ebayed this staff/stick which I believe is quite possibly Fon or Benin, certainly West African and high status. The the fist image is a potent symbol in West Africa. I hope to post better pics in the next few days. I could be very much deluded I was the only bidder Attached Images

17th March 2009, 09:20 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,856	magnify this pic, some kind of grain? The seller says carved step down stick? Attached Images

18th March 2009, 08:36 AM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,856	Extract from- {The Continuum Encyclopedia of Native Art: Worldview, Symbolism and Culture in Africa, Oceania and North America} Attached Images

18th March 2009, 12:02 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,856	Fist staff with mudfish and orginal context. http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/fap/benin.htm Attached Images

20th March 2009, 06:45 PM	#7
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,856	Well it is here now and rather nice. The hand is much finer than the old pictures show. There are two ivory bands and a turned section of horn, this horn does seen very similar to a slightly emotive type of horn. It is a really lovey made thing. The other end has a steel cap and as can be seem this has not been in contact with hard surfaces. I think it is clearly not of European manufacture and too subtle to be Indian so I am still of a mind that it is Benin quite possibly from a prestige workshop or guild. Attached Images

17th March 2009, 09:14 PM	#2
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Nice stick Tim. What I find strange is that the shaft seems to be bamboo never saw an African stick made from it but you never know. Lew

20th March 2009, 08:47 PM	#8
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Tim It really does not strike me as African but it could be Asian or Philippine. Whatever it is I think it is quiet lovely and very finely crafted. Congrats. Btw what is the shaft made of? Lew

21st March 2009, 11:30 AM	#9
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,856	Sadly Lew I think you may be right that it is not African. It is perhaps a Buddhist thing the "mudra of the knowledge fist" and I now wonder if may come from Burma. The stick is wood carved possibly to look like bamboo, sections with edges cut at opposite angles which I try to show with these pics. The wood has also been lacquered not something I would associate with Africa, though all one would need is a bottle of gin and some tree resin to make a lacquer. I am sure the turned horn section is "R". Although I am dissapointed that it is probably south Asian it is quite nice and i like the idea of the fist of kniwledge, you learn something every day Vajra Mudra Attached Images Last edited by Tim Simmons; 21st March 2009 at 11:41 AM.