Legend about the foundation of the Congo people state that nine staffs (mvwala or ntiamfumu) belonged to the original clans. The staff helped them to rule as they were seen as instruments of power and were used to communicate with the living and the dead. The spiritual power possessed by the staff can be seen though the usage of cowrie shells, which were very often used by witch doctors in their ritual, practices. The position of the cowrie shells indicates that the owner of the staff had power to communicate and see the dead as well as power make the land and the people fertile, which is further demonstrated by the usage of the figure of a women – the embodiment of fertility and the ancestral mother of the clan. Whoever had possession of the staff was deemed to be the rightful ruler which meant that the staffs were prized possessions and highly sought after. This piece is the top of the staff and it would have been attached to a wooden pole to add length.