A couple of Adjoukrou command staves, collected in Dabou region, Ivory Coast. Signs of age and ritual use. Incl stand. Adjoukrou command staves are emblematic regalia used by leaders among the Adjoukrou people, who inhabit the coastal and forested regions of southern Côte d’Ivoire. These staffs, sometimes referred to as sceptres or insignia of office, serve both practical and symbolic purposes in the assertion of political authority, social rank, and spiritual legitimacy within the community. As material expressions of leadership, they are used in public ceremonies, judicial contexts, and ritual performances to mark the presence and power of a chief or other dignitary. The Adjoukrou, part of the larger Kwa linguistic group, have a political culture that combines hereditary chieftaincy with elements of spiritual mediation. The command staff is central to this authority, functioning as a tangible link between the officeholder and ancestral sources of power. It is both a sign of the chief’s right to govern and a tool through which that governance is exercised. The staves are typically carved from wood and may vary in length, with some reaching the height of the person who carries it. The top of the staff is often surmounted by a carved figure, animal, or abstract form, each with specific iconographic meaning. These finials can represent ancestral spirits, totemic animals, or allegorical scenes that communicate messages about leadership, justice, or social values. For example, a bird atop a staff might symbolize vigilance and protection, while a seated human figure could represent ancestral authority or wisdom. The staffs are designed with both aesthetic elegance and symbolic gravity. The carved figures are generally stylized rather than naturalistic, featuring elongation of form, geometric simplification, and incised surface patterns. These features align with Adjoukrou visual traditions and differentiate the staffs from more figurative works of neighboring cultures. Some staffs are adorned with metal bands or inlaid with other materials, further enhancing their prestige. In ceremonial use, the staff is not merely carried but displayed in ways that emphasize the dignity and legitimacy of the holder. During official gatherings, judicial proceedings, or funerary rites, the presence of the staff affirms the role of the chief as both a civic leader and a mediator between the living and the dead. In this sense, the command staff functions as an object of political theology, materializing the relationship between temporal power and spiritual order. Although the use of command staffs has declined in everyday political life due to the influence of modern administrative systems and religious change, they remain potent symbols within Adjoukrou culture. In some cases, they continue to be used in ritual contexts or reinterpreted in contemporary art and performance. In museums and private collections, these staffs are often catalogued as prestige objects, yet their deeper significance as instruments of governance and sacred authority is increasingly recognized through scholarly research. References: Ahipeaud, Martial. Pouvoirs traditionnels et modernité en Côte d’Ivoire: Le cas des Adjoukrou. Paris: L’Harmattan, 2006. Kerchache, Jacques, Jean-Louis Paudrat, and Lucien Stephan. Art of Africa: The Three Thousand-Year History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1995. Gardi, René. African Crafts and Craftsmen. London: Thames and Hudson, 1969. Goody, Jack. The Interface Between the Written and the Oral. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987. Homberger, Lorenz. Arts d’Afrique: Collections du Musée Barbier-Mueller. Geneva: Musée Barbier-Mueller, 2007. Height: 49 cm / 54 cm without stands Weight: 430 g / 530 g incl. stands