Ashanti Linguist's Staff Depicting a Seated Male Figure, Based

Seated figure clasps its hands above a stack of black rings.

This linguist’s staff depicting a seated male figure is Ashanti, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is wood & pigment. Common finial motifs include a leopard holding a porcupine, said to praise a ruler's keen insight, and a rooster and hen, which refer to a chief's decisions and the wisdom of his elders. Dark red figure sits on a small chair, hands pressed to the chest and head tilted, the face long and carefully drawn. It rests on a base of stacked black rings above a twisted black shaft. It is 4.5 inches wide, 4.75 deep and 65.5 high.

Quietly composed, and perfectly balanced on its tower of coils.