Lot: 257

92nd Tribal Art Auction

Prestige staff, late 19th century

South Africa, Tsonga, "Baboon Master"

Provenance Size Starting price / estimated price
Missionary Collection, Maastricht, The Netherlands
German Private Collection
L: 36.6 inch sold

wood, burnished details, collection number "EE.548", missing part backside

Due to stylistic similarities, this staff can be attributed to the "baboon master".

From the recognized workshop of this master, four different types of figural staffs are known. In addition to married and unmarried men and women they show mother figures and just that surreal baboon, who gave this master his name.


Conru, Kevin (ed), Southeast African and Oceanic art, Brussels 2005