Oromo Pilgrimage Staff, Wall Mounted

Fifty-some inches of wood and copper, made for long walks.

Staffs accompanied travelers on journeys on foot, a support along the way and a mark of the bearer’s purpose. This one comes from the Oromo of Ethiopia and dates to the mid 19th century. A slender shaft of dark wood opens at the top into a Y-shaped fork, the two arms curving gently outward. Bands of copper wrap the shaft at the fork, near the middle and at the tapered foot.

They catch the light against a deep, smooth patina. More than four and a half feet tall, mounted on the wall. It reads as a single stroke of calligraphy.