Royal Staff or Récade with a Leopard Figure

Date

mid-20th century

Creator

The beautifully fashioned royal staff at the Snite Museum appears to date to the mid-nineteenth century, around the early years of the reign of King Glele (1858-89), if not earlier to the era of King Ghezo (1818-58), and matches in color and style several bas relief illustrations on the murals of the Royal Palace at the state capital of Abomey. Painted primarily in blue and yellow, the staff features overlaid metal and coins hammered into the wood for decoration. A three-dimensional leopard, meanwhile, has been expertly carved at the top of the crook. One of the king's titles was leopard, reflecting Dahomey legends claiming that kings were descendants of leopards. This animal became a central royal symbol of the king's political, economic, and miliatry might. from Morton, Dimensions of Power (South Bend, 2018)