Ashanti Linguist's Staff Depicting a Hand with Upward Pointing Finger, Based

Red and black pole ends in a lifted hand like a polite greeting.

This linguist’s staff depicting a hand with upward pointing finger is Ashanti, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is carved & painted wood. The Okyeame, or linguist, spoke for Ashanti chiefs, who traditionally never addressed their people directly, and generally recast a chief's words as proverbs meant to instruct, inform and entertain. Tall shaft banded in black, deep red and thin yellow wrappings, with a small ornamental block of black and gold near the top. A red hand with raised finger tips caps the pole. A black square plate carries it. It is 3.25 inches wide, 2.5 deep and 62 high.

Raised for attention, and getting it from every direction.