Dancing staff of a Nepalese shaman, Northern Nepal, mid 20th century

Dancing staff of a Nepalese shaman. The upper more or less round part shows some patterns that correspond to patterns that are sometimes shown on a churning stick, Ghurra. The decorations on the ghurras refer to the gods of the Hindu pantheon and are, as it were, the connecting signs to the elusive mystery of the universe. Ghurras are thus an expression of a transcendent reality hidden under the veil of observable reality.

This is also the case with the staff of the shaman. Haven't seen a staff like this before. Made of ironwood-like hard wood. I had a custom standard made for the staff, which is of course included. See the pictures!

Length: 63 cm, including stand approx. 69 cm
Weight: 1276 grams
Origin: Northern Nepal
Date: Mid 20th century
Provenance: Obtained from a private network in situ