Pilgrim's Staff (Oulle Sheikh Hussein)

Arts of Africa

20th century

Oromo
Oromia/Oromiyaa, Ethiopia
Eastern and Southern Africa

This delicate forked staff was carried by a pilgrim visiting the tomb of Sheikh Hussein, a 13th century Ethiopian Islamic saint. Thousands of believers participated in the pilgrimage to his shrine in Ethiopia’s Oromo region twice a year. The pilgrim staff (Oulle Sheikh Hussein) is not meant to assist with walking but instead to identify travelers as pilgrims, which entitles them to hospitality. The staff also offers mystical protection: Pilgrims adorn them with brass or copper, prayer beads, and leaves of the hallucinogenic khat plant. Here, the objects’ scented oils and frequent use have created a shiny patina.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Arts of Africa

Culture: Oromo
Title: Pilgrim's Staff (Oulle Sheikh Hussein)
Place: Ethiopia (Object made in:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1900–1999
Medium: Wood
Dimensions: 162.6 × 58.5 cm (64 × 23 in.)
Credit Line: African Decorative Arts Fund
Reference Number: 2024.319

Art Institute of Chicago, Critical Fabulation, Oct. 10, 2025-Jan. 4, 2026, no cat.

Tribal Gathering Gallery, London; Clive Loveless, London [this and the following according to email from Andres Moraga to Costa Petridis, June 2024; copy in curatorial object file]; sold to Andres Moraga, Berkeley, CA, 2006; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2024.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Suggested Terms

Currently Off View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

Status

Department

Culture

Title

Place

Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

Extended information about this artwork

Exhibition History

Provenance

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Gallery actions

Image actions

Share