Although this stick has a handle carved in the form of a baboon, stylistically it does not appear to have been carved by the so-called Baboon Master (see no.11 in this book). In contrast to other baboon sticks, the lines and eyes incised into the face suggest an alertness and life-likeness that is underlined by the slightly asymmetrical treatment of the body.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century an industry evolved that produced carvings of African animals for sale to tourists. The most well-documented aspect of this genre is the work of the carvers based at the Victoria Falls who flourished after the railway line reached the region and brought a steady stream of visitors (see the illustration on p.4). This stick was, however, probably carved in Natal or southern Mozambique because its form and finish relate more closely to the work of the Tsonga carvers.