The exhibition features a knob of a chief’s wand, made of pyroxene gabbro. It has a regular cylindrical shape with a separate disc at the end. Pyroxene is a rock-forming mineral that is part of most rocks formed during volcanic eruptions. It has a granular texture; it is massive and durable. The rock lends itself well to grinding and polishing. It is not surprising that pyroxene was chosen as the material for such an important object as the chief’s wand. Given its age of more than five thousand years, it has been well preserved.

The wand or scepter is an attribute of power, supremacy, and reign. In the culture of various peoples, it belonged to the most important regalia. It belongs to so-called “male” symbols associated with the images of a rod or a staff. It is a symbol of the central axis, the Tree of Life, mediation between God and His subjects, and the guarantor of peace and justice. Before such wands and scepters, other objects had the same meaning, including the shepherd’s staff and the club (such as the Russian palitsa). Many peoples associated their leader, ruler, or priest with a shepherd leading a flock in the right direction with the help of a staff.

In some cases, the staff also served as a symbol of a priest’s authority. The club was associated primarily with the use of force and was a symbol of the power of the earthly kingdom. The club was regarded as a representation of the heavenly punishment and became a symbol of power. Over time, it was replaced by the royal scepter.

The club is considered one of the first types of weapons that was used by primitive men both in hunting and in clashes with representatives of other tribes. Usually, a club is presented as a stick with a massive round stone tip. In the Bronze Age, it began to be made of metal.

In the Middle Ages, tilting the wand served as a sign of the monarch’s favor, and kissing the wand was a sign of loyalty. The scepter was included in the Russian regalia during the ascension of Feodor I to the Russian throne, but it might have been used before.