Soninke brass chief's staff finial, sono, Guinea-Bissau

René Rasmussen, Paris
Lucien Van de Velde, Antwerp, acquired from the above in 1971
Robert T. Wall Family, Telluride, acquired from the above in 2005 (accession no. "W-0409")

Gallerie Studio 44, Brussels, Oerkunsten van zwart Afrika/Arts Premiers d'Afrique Noire, March 5 - April 17, 1977
The African-American Institute, New York, The Art of Metal in Africa, October 7, 1982 - January 5, 1983
Rice University, Institute for the Arts, Houston (additional venue), February 3 - April 10, 1983
Charles W. Bowers Museum, Santa Ana (additional venue), June 18 - September 5, 1983

Alain Jacob, Bronzes de l'Afrique Noire, Paris, 1974, p. 70
Philippe Guimiot and Lucien Van de Velde, Oerkunsten van zwart Afrika/Arts Premiers d'Afrique Noire, Brussels, 1977, p. 38, fig. 12
Ezio Bassani, "Sono from Guinea Bissau", African Arts, Vol. XII, no. 4, 1979, p. 47, fig. 7
Marie-Therese Brincard, The Art of Metal in Africa, New York, 1982, p. 108, fig. E-4
André Blandin, Afrique de l'Ouest: Bronzes et Autres Alliages, Marignane, 1988, no. 126
Karl-Fredinand Schädler, Earth and Ore: 2500 Years of African Art in Terra Cotta and Metal, Munich, 1997, p. 16, fig. 3
Karl-Ferdinand Schädler, Encyclopedia of African Art and Culture, Munich, 2009, p. 559

Good condition overall for an object of this age and rarity; both arms of the female figure in front and the male figure in the back broken at elbows; proper right arm of the horse rider broken at elbow, fourth figure to the proper left of the horse rider missing with one leg and parts of a second leg remaining; losses to inside rim of globular base; exceptionally fine grey-green patina with partial incrustation and oxidation.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

According to Ezio Bassani (1974: 44), sono sculptures, a square iron staff with one or more sets of four upward-curved brass offshoots surmounted by a figurative brass finial, "were the insignia of a Soninke king's or chieftain's temporal power and were also insignia before these people were converted to Islam." The finials in most cases display a man on horseback accompanied by other human figures and sometimes dogs.

While it seems plausible to interpret the horserider as a chief figure, the roles of the surrounding figures are unclear. For the offered lot, the figures could either be attendants of the chief or members of his family (wife and son).