A male figure, probably an Oba, surmounts this
remarkable staff. His hands are placed reverently
over his chest between two scrolls covering his
breast, which are connected to a thick neck
collar. He wears a peaked textured cap, his
mouth is open as if about to speak, his eyes are
bulbous and surrounded by rings. Large scrolls
ornament the Oba's back, three in a triangle
configuration at waist level, and four at the
shoulder area having a distinct appearance of
male genitals. His navel is composed of
concentric circles symbolic of the cosmic force of
nature and regeneration. The theme of fertility
and ancestry is graphically depicted in the
curved, phallic shape extending from the upper
portion of the staff, crowned by a snake-like
head with a triangular shape on top the head and
double scrolls at the neck. The shaft itself is a
series of twenty-seven nearly identical heads
representing ancestral figures. These heads
symbolize the Oba's ancestors whom the king
honors and also dominates as the living ruler;
carrying on the noble line as he carries his staff
of authority.
- (PF.5096)
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