7-5/8 x 1-1/4 x 1-1/2 in.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Eiteljorg
(Jacques Hautelet [1931-2014], California) sold on 08 June 1983 to Harrison Eiteljorg [1903-1997] of Indianapolis, Indiana; given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1989.
Elephants and their ivory tusks are very important in many African cultures. Ivory symbolizes wealth and leadership, and shows that the ruler has the power of an elephant. Among the Kongo peoples, ivory tusks are decorated with carving that spirals from the bottom to the top. The carved images do not tell a continuous story, but present positive scenes of everyday life and European influence. Carved tusks such as these were given as gifts or traded to Europe.
This staff depicts a seated leader holding a scepter in his left hand that signifies his rank as chief. He also chews on a sacred plant stem that he ritually spat on the assembly during certain ceremonies.
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
Additional information about Newfields’ reproduction guidelines can be found in the Licensing Resources.
4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA 46208-3326 | 317-923-1331
Copyright © 2024 Newfields. All rights reserved.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MA-251861-OMS-22].