Ashanti Linguist's Staff Depicting Hunter with Lion Under Tree, Based

Hunter with a rifle and a lion share one very small clearing.

This linguist’s staff depicting hunter with lion under tree is Ashanti, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved & painted wood. The Ashanti considered gold an embodiment of sunlight and life's vital force, and the kingdom was once known as the Kingdom of Gold, though most staffs are painted as gold disappeared. Small scene on a square black base: a dark figure with a long gun slung over the shoulder stands beside a tall green plant with banana-like leaves, while an orange crouching lion and a little pot sit at its feet. It is 5.5 inches wide, 5 deep and 64.5 high.

Tense, tidy, and staged with real narrative confidence.