NAVIGATION

Of elegant form with a long delicately tapering shaft this chief’s sceptre has a fine colour and patina. It is made from the horn of a white African rhinoceros which naturally have much longer horns than the black rhino. Batons, sceptres and knobkerries fashioned from rhinoceros horn were used by the Zulu to denote significant status. They were an essential part of a chief's regalia functioning as a ceremonial staff of office and as a symbol of personal dignity. In the 19th century rhino horns of exceptional length were rare and there was a direct correlation between their prestige value and their length.