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Art History Virtual Exhibition

Six-Headed, Janus-Style Memory Staff: Researched by Jordan Seyer

September, 2020 by Whitney Mosley

Image of Six-Headed, Janus-style Memory Staff
Six-Headed, Janus-Style Memory Staff
Songye culture
20th-21st century
Wood and metal
L. 12 cm x W. 11 cm x H. 87 cm
MSU collection #2018.1.33

This staff illustrates how the Luba and the Songye are closely related cultures that often borrowed ideas from one another. The facial features of the heads identify this staff as Songye, but both of these cultures made staffs with what are known as Janus images. The name Janus derives from its resemblance to the Roman deity that is depicted with two connected heads, each facing in opposite directions, looking both to the past and to the future. This staff is unusual in that it not only has one set of back-to-back heads in the middle of the staff, but also a set of four heads at the top of the staff, each facing a different direction.

Like Luba staffs, Songye staffs incorporate geometric designs and marks that likely symbolize the history of a specific ruler and that ruler’s time in office. Also like Luba staffs, this staff may have been consulted if the history or lineage of the owner was in question. Researched by Jordan Seyer

 

 

For more information, you may contact the researcher(s) noted in the title of this exhibit entry, or Dr. Billie Follensbee, the professor of the course, at BillieFollensbee@MissouriState.edu

Filed Under: 2020 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa Tagged With: african art, Janus-style, luba, memory staff, songye, staffs, staffs of power

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  • 2014 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2014 Spring, ART 485: Art of Mesoamerica
  • 2015 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2016 Fall, ART 385: Art of the Americas
  • 2016 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa
  • 2017 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2017 Spring, ART 485: Art of Mesoamerica
  • 2018 Fall, ART 385: Art of the Americas
  • 2018 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa
  • 2019 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2019 Spring, ART 485: Art of Mesoamerica
  • 2020 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa

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