Producer unknown to us
Ceremonial staff
Americas, Brazil, Tocantins, Rio das Balsas
Before 1956
Wood, feathers, woven plant fiber
From the 1950s to the 1970s, Erich Wustmann (ethnologist, author) undertook numerous expeditions and journeys to collect items for museums. He sold the acquired objects to the museums in Leipzig and Dresden.
Purchased by the museum from Wustmann in 1957
SAm 21535
Adorned with feathers, woven plant fiber and dried seed kernels, this carved staff served as a status symbol for dignitaries among the Krahô during ceremonies. The museum could not yet decipher and analyze the exact symbolism.
Frank Usbeck