Staff c. 20th century

Editor: Here we have a Staff, created around the 20th century, by an artist of Luchazi or Lwena heritage. It’s crafted from wood and it’s currently housed here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. There is an evocative quality to this figurative sculpture - a story, perhaps. How would you interpret this work, particularly given its cultural context? Curator: As an iconographer, I'm drawn to the layered meanings embedded within seemingly simple forms. A staff, universally, signifies authority, guidance, but more specifically for the Luchazi or Lwena people, staffs such as this one often carry deep cultural and spiritual importance. Tell me, what visual details stand out to you in this carving? Editor: Well, the figure at the top seems to have quite specific, stylized features. Her gaze and seated posture makes me consider the weight and status of a woman. Is that the reading you would ascribe? Curator: That’s an insightful observation. Consider the woman’s form at the apex of the staff. Notice her poise and adornments, hinting perhaps at lineage or specialized knowledge within her community. As it's carried, how do you think the figure’s movement impacts the interpretation of this symbolism? Editor: It certainly elevates the symbolic representation! Carrying a figure in that way brings an understanding that someone’s beliefs would have accompanied their motion. Curator: Precisely. It is in motion, too, where ancestral narratives or community values are affirmed with each step, preserving culture and imbuing symbolic weight, creating both cultural memory and cultural continuity. What are your thoughts now on the sculpture? Editor: I didn't quite understand how rich it was until we looked at it together. There are just so many ways we can engage with material culture! Thank you for lending your experience. Curator: Indeed, by contemplating the artwork’s inherent meanings we not only enrich our appreciation, but perhaps more significantly, preserve cultural memory. Thank you for walking through this symbolic journey with me.