Ethiopian Prayer Staff with Finial

Warm bamboo, a crooked line, and a silver T at the top.

This early 20th-century prayer staff with finial was made in Ethiopia, East Africa, from bamboo and iron. Staffs like this are commonly associated with clergy in Ethiopia, who rest their hands and weight upon them during prayer. The shaft is orange-brown, with a slight natural bend between the nodes, ending in a dark iron tip. The head is a crossbar with small ornamental ends, in pale, worn metal. The bamboo shows surface scratches and rubbed patina.

About five and a half feet tall. It leans well, and looks better doing it.