Tanzanian Staff / Walking Stick, Based

The wood chose the line. The carver, to his credit, listened.

This staff, from Tanzania, was carved in the early 20th century and stands just over thirty-eight inches tall on its base. Staffs served as practical supports and as personal possessions that could signal age, standing or authority. The long slender shaft is gently irregular, following the natural line of the wood, and is crowned by a small finial of stacked, tapering forms that suggest a stylized head. Honey-brown, smooth and hand-worn, darker where it was most often gripped, with fine checks and marks.

Years of a hand, on a stick. Lean on it, metaphorically.