Oromo Copper Pilgrimage Staff, Based

Like a hopeful sapling pulling apart, two arms lift from a long stem.

This based pilgrimage staff is Oromo, from Ethiopia, East Africa, and dates to the mid 19th century. It is wood & copper. Wooden staffs with metal fittings are made by various peoples of the Ethiopian highlands, where they are carried by travelers, elders and religious figures. Reddish-brown and tall, the staff splits at the top into two wide, curving prongs ending in small nubs. Copper-colored wire wraps the join and appears again partway down the thin, slightly wavy shaft. It is 9.5 inches wide, 5 deep and 53 high.

A study in how much a single line can do.