Self-defence stick – desto

Desto is a special kind of Romani walking stick used for defence. Most often, a thick bat made of hard wood or a stick carved from branches with natural gnarling served as a desto. The stick on display is a rare example of a desto with carved decoration. It was carved out of a bough with a thickened end, which was decorated with the head of a moustached man. The crane was scorched over a bonfire to make it look aged. It was made by Zdzisław Federowicz, a Gypsy from the Polska Roma group, living in Olsztyn since 1950s. Fedorowicz is an amateur sculptor, and his work involved decorating items of everyday use. Zdzisław Federowicz 1979, Olsztyn, Poland District Museum in Tarnów Inventory number: MT-E/1759 https://muzea.malopolska.pl/en/objects-list/1295