Ashanti Liguist's Staff Depicting a Chief with a Rooster and Hen, Based

A chief in a crown, two roosters at his elbows, and nothing to prove.

Ashanti artists of Ghana, West Africa, made this linguist’s staff in wood in the 20th century. Staffs of this kind are commonly carried by a chief’s spokesman, and the gilded finial usually carries a proverb in sculptural form. Here a crowned figure sits on a square platform holding two slender staffs of his own, flanked by a rooster and a hen. The gold surface is bright and smooth, and the long tapering shaft below it is faceted and darker.

About 62 inches tall. Stand it in a corner and it will end most arguments by looking disappointed.