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an old wooden stick with a metal handle on a white surfacea metal object that looks like a snake on a stickan old cane with a horse head on it
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Maître Christophe HERBELIN

312 - King Béhanzin’s staff
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Estimate €300 - €500
Sale commission
Description
King Béhanzin’s staff Hardwood, original reddish patina, wrought iron, signs of wear and age, handle broken and glued back together. Fon, Dahomey-Benin, late 19th century. Height 51.8 × Width 27.7 cm The shark, the royal emblem of Béhanzin (1889–1894), is depicted here with a wide-open, powerfully toothed jaw, a symbolic expression of the sovereign’s strength. The large scroll and the serpentine motif may evoke the Dan/AidoHwedo serpent, associated in Fon cosmology with continuity, wealth and power. The whole forms a veritable royal rebus, characteristic of the iconography of Dahomey récades. A récade dedicated to Béhanzin, featuring a very similar combination — a shark, a serrated blade, a spiral protrusion and a stylised fish — from the former collection of Baron Freddy Rolin and previously sold at Christie’s, provides an important point of comparison. Expert: Mr Serge REYNES
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About the sale CIVILISATIONS OF THE FIVE CONTINENTS
Auction location
Auction time 10/14/2026 at 1:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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