Offered in this lot is a Zimbabwean Nyami Nyami Hand Carved Wooden Walking stick with figural open work designs. In Africa as well as being walking aids, walking sticks, Mufunko in Tonga or Tsvimbo in Shona, are often used in traditional tribal dances to symbolise clubs thrown in war or against wild animals. They also play an important part in religious beliefs as they are thought to be able to hold ancestral spirits (mudzimu). These sticks usually depict human or animal forms and are used in dances. While the Nyaminaymi walking stick is associated with the Tonga culture and its history, the Shona people are also well known for their carving expertise. This walking stick is very unique in that it incorporates the handle imagery of the Tonga river spirit Nyami Nyami that inhabits the Zambezi valley. The walking stick resembles a snake at the top because the Tonga tribe’s god (the ancestral spirit) exists in form of a snake or a serpent-like creature living in Kariba Dam. The ball trapped inside the cavity on the walking stick explains the cultural preservation and protection by the Tonga people. Unlike the majority of Nyami Nyami walking sticks that depict a man and a woman kneeling in prayers to ask the river god for rain, this walking stick depicts a rhinoceros, an African Elephant, and a Cape buffalo. The walking stick appears to have been carved from one solid piece of wood, ironwood being the most commonly used for these types of walking sticks. The walking stick is in good overall condition, has minimal soiling and stains from use. No other obvious marring noted, measures 41"L x 6.5" x 4.5"