Dinka Wood Ceremonial Staff

The knob has a face, and the face is studded with white beads like a night sky.

Dinka people of Sudan, East Africa, made this ceremonial staff in wood in the 20th century. Among cattle-keeping peoples of the Nile region, staffs and clubs are commonly tied to status, authority and the care of herds. A rounded head is carved with a human face and edged with rows of small white beads, which are repeated in two bands along the dark, polished shaft. The long handle ends in a small knob at the tip. The wood has the warm, handled gloss of long use.

About 28 inches long. Lean it in a corner or lay it across a table, and it looks purposeful.