A Luba ceremonial staff, collected in Kamina region, DR Congo, with the two faces protruding on either side of the finial, which has a metal rim. Glossy touch patina, signs of use and age and slight oxidation on the metal part. "Staffs of office, called kibango, were owned and displayed by Luba kings and other titleholders as documents of their sovereignty over specific territories. These sculptures recall the original staff bestowed upon the mythic culture hero Kalala Ilunga, first in the line of Luba rulers who founded the wealthy and powerful Luba state in what is today southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (...) Staffs of office are important historical documents. Read from top to bottom, the sequence of figural and geometric designs trace the lineage of the sovereign and explain the origins of his chiefdom. The staff functions as a sculptural map that illustrates the introduction of divine kingship into the territory from the Luba royal capital (...) This staff's shaft is wrapped in bands of copper, a precious metal originating far to the south at the headwaters of the Zambezi River. The burnished metal not only added to the beauty of the piece but also alluded to the ruler's dominance over long-distance trade. Staffs of office were often paddle-shaped, another reference to the importance of riverine commerce to Luba prosperity." Source: The Met Museum NY CAB23833 "I believe that the import of all art objects from Africa—whether copies or originals—should be prohibited to protect Africa." Quote: Prof. Dr. Viola König, former director of the Ethnological Museum of Berlin, now HUMBOLDTFORUM Legal Framework Under the 1970 UNESCO Convention in combination with the Kulturgutschutz Gesetz (KGSG) any claim for the restitution of cultural property becomes time-barred three years after the competent authorities of the State of origin obtain knowledge of the object’s location and the identity of its possessor. All bronzes and terracotta items offered have been publicly exhibited in Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery since 2001. Organisations such as DIGITAL BENIN and academic institutions such as the Technical University of Berlin, which have been intensively involved in restitution-reseaches (translocation-project) over the past seven years, are aware of our work, have inspected large parts of our collection and have visited us in our dependance in Lomé, Togo, among other places, to learn about the international Art trade on site. Furthermore, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in Abuja, Nigeria, has been informed about our collection. In no case in the past have there been restitution claims against private institutions such as the Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery Our Gallery addresses these structural challenges through a policy of maximum transparency and documentation. Should any questions or uncertainties arise, we invite you to contact us. Each matter will be reviewed diligently using all available resources.