Sarhua Staff

Staffs of office, used by the traditional leaders known as “varayoc” in the district of Sarhua, in the Ayacucho province of Víctor Fajardo, serve as symbols of the social status of those who carry them, as well as of the political and social organization through which the local community is governed.
Made from the wood of the laiqan, a wild shrub native to the region, their surfaces are decorated with a range of chiseled designs: virgins, saints, people, crosses, stars, suns, animals, plants and other elements of the local worldview, organized in a manner similar to a genealogical chart. The upper part, or handle, is usually topped with a human figure, animal or other design, reflecting the versatility of the woodcarver, as illustrated by this bird.
The presence of the national coat-of-arms on these staffs bears witness to the high social status of those who carry them. They are used in activities associated with the religious and festive calendar around which the local Sarhua identity is constructed.