STAFF WITH FEMALE FIGURE TUMOGANI

SENUFO, IVORY COAST

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‍Tumogani metal staffs appear during an elaborate Senufo ceremony called Nuyo’s which celebrates the climactic finale of the intermediate grade of the poro society. The central performers of this ceremony are the four Master Singers who wear a fiber masquerade, and each holds one of these metal staffs called tumogani (“spirit figures in brass”). These staffs help the Master Singers produce songs that are “clear as light”, lucid, and illuminating. The staffs also refer to land spirits that can be malevolent and dangerous when crossed but also a source of inspiration for creativity and innovation.

The figure surmounting the staff represents a young, strong, beautiful woman just like those depicted on the wooden champion cultivators’ staffs known as tefalipitya.

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