Ashanti Linguist's Staff Depicting Two People with Bowl of Food, Based

Man in blue shorts offers his hand across a tiny stool and a bowl.

This linguist’s staff depicting two people with bowl of food is Ashanti, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the early 20th century. It is carved & painted wood. A linguist's staff is a carved wooden work of regalia with a detachable finial, sometimes compared to a king's scepter, though its form was influenced by European canes. Two figures face each other on a blue board, one seated in painted blue shorts with an arm stretched out, the other standing in cream shorts with a dark button. A small three-legged stool between them holds a round bowl. It is 6.5 inches wide, 5 deep and 60.5 high.

Whatever is being decided, the bowl is clearly the chairman.