Comprising of multiple strands of iron, each individually twisted, coiled and flattened at the ends to form sinuous, snake-like motifs. Traditionally planted in the ground, these ‘rain wands’ were created by skilled blacksmiths to empower the Mumuye rainmaker and facilitate ritual supplications for rainfall.
As described in Striking Iron: The Art of the African Blacksmith:
“Their ritual supplications require iron rods forged in the form of zigzag-shaped staffs to represent the flash of lightening in the sky and the sudden movement of slithering snakes, thought to presage rain.”
Reference: Striking Iron: The Art of the African Blacksmith, p. 92, Tom Joyce and Allen Roberts.
Estimated Period: First half of the 20th century
Ex-private collection, UK
Height: 44 cm (Excluding Custom Mount)
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