PUBLISHED ZULU DANCE STAFF SOUTH AFRICA carved wood, the long shaft leading to an off-set finial with raised ridges and incised zig-zag border (81cm long) Footnote: Provenance: Bernice and Terence Pethica Collection, United Kingdom Published: Klopper, Nettleton and Pethica, The Art of Southern Africa, The Terence Pethica Collection , 2007, p. 178-179, n° 88 Note: "The slightly off-centre placement of the head of this dance staff imparts a quirky individuality that contributes to the overall vitality of its form. Because staffs like these had to withstand vigorous beatings against small dance shields on festive occasions like weddings and celebrations in honour of ancestors, they were commonly made from hard woods. This also ****s to explain why the carving of decorative details like the fluting and zig-za***otifs on this example are fairly robust." Klopper, Nettleton and Pethica, 2007.